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' Class__S_^_-^CLr 

Book__.L^A: 

Copyright N°_ . 





FOUR SEASONS 
IN THE GARDEN 




Flowers are Lover's truest language; they betray, 
Like the divining rods of Magi old. 
Where precious wealth lies buried, not of gold, 

But love — strong love, that never can decay! 

Park Benjamin: Flowers Love's Truest Language. 




T low'er^ are Worcl5 

WhicK e'verv a babe twaj/ under^ts^nd 



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FOUR SEASONS 
IN THE GARDEN 



■BYi- 

EBEN E/REXFORD 



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^JTH TTVENTr-SEVEN ILLUSTRATIONS 
AND trira decorations bt 

EDWARD STRATTON HOLLOWAY 




PHILADELPHIA 6f LONDON 

J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY 

1907 



USRARv M noNfiRESS 

1>«i. t/.../i . '«3celve<J 
APh 2^ 190/ 

CLASS A '^C N3. 



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Copyright, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1907 
By J. B. LippiNCOTT Company 



Electrotyped and printed hy J. B. Lippincott Company 
The Washington Square Press, Philadelphia, U. S. A. 





CONTENTS 



PAGE 

Making akd Care op the Lawn 9 

Flower-beds: Their Making and Care 19 

A Garden of Native Plants 33 

Back-yard Gardens and Window-boxes 49 

Spring in the Garden 63 

The Garden in Summer 87 

The Flowers of Fall Ill 

Fall Work in the Garden 129 

The Growing of Bulbs 149 

The Winter Window-garden 165 

The Home Greenhouse 189 

The Culture and the Care of Palms 209 

Decorative Plants 227 

The Use of Growing Plants for Table Decoration, . 247 

Our Village Improvement Society 261 

Rural and Village Improvement Societies 275 

Index 291 



m 







LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

"Flowers are Words, Which even a Babe may 

Understand" Frontispiece 

A Fine Bit of Lawn 12 

Lawn Effectively Set Off by Shrubs and Trees . . 16 
This Arrangement of Beds is Pleasing from the 

Porch 22 

A Symmetrical Hydrangea 26 

The Beauty of Informal Planting 30 

Elder in Bloom — A Representative Native Plant . . 36 

Clematis Panicul ata 40 

Making the Best of Circumstances 52 

Effective Use of Window-Boxes 60 

Gladiolus 80 

Massed Effect of Pansies 82 

The Flower-Lover's Paradise 100 

A Flourishing Hanging-Basket 108 

Anemone Japonicum 126 

Bed of Narcissus 132 

The Beauty of the Hollyhock 136 

Bed of Hyacinths and Tulips 152 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

Narcissus in Informal Surroundings 158 

Primula — an Effective Plant 176 

Areca Lutescens 220 

Showy Specimen of Nephrolepis Piersonii 232 

A Flourishing Adiantum 238 

Dwarf Azalea 252 

Aristolochia Bowerinq a Porch Entrance 268 

Porch Posts Well Clothed in Vines 272 

Crataegus Transplanted from its Wild Habitat and 

Subjected to Cultivation 282 




MAKING AND CARE OF 
THE LAWN 




God Almighty first planted a garden. 
Bacon: Of Gardens. 

How lush and lusty the grass looks ! how 
green ! 

Shakespeare: Tempest. 




Not wholly in the busy world, nor quite 
Beyond it, blooms the garden that I love. 

Tennyson: The Gardener's Daughter. 



MAKING AND CARE 
OF THE LAWN :: :: 




OST suburban people want a 
lawn, with flower-beds and 
shrubs about the house. Some 
begin by planting shrubs or 
making flower-beds, expect- 
ing the lawn to follow. They 
have a vague idea that it is an 
easy matter to make a lawn, — in fact, some 
persons seem to think the lawn will make itself. 
The natural consequence of this way of think- 
ing is, that such persons seldom have a lawn 
that is worth calling one. In improving the 
home-grounds, the first thing to be considered 
is the formation of the lawn. When that is 
made, and not until then, flower-beds may be 
made and shrubs planted in such a manner as to 
make them permanently effective. This 
cannot be accomplished if the lawn has to be 
made to fit an already planted yard. 

Lawn-making is hot so difficult as most per- 
sons seem to think. You must begin right if 

you would attain a satisfactory degree of suc- 

11 



MAKING AND CARE 

cess. The first thing to do is to grade the 
ground evenly. Most persons prefer a lawn 
that slopes away from house to road in an 
almost imperceptible incline of surface. Such 
a lawn is easier to make than a level one, be- 
cause any little departure from a perfectly even 
surface will be far less noticeable. To secure 
the necessary slope, earth will have to be filled 
in near the house if the lot is a comparatively 
level one. Wherever there has been an exca- 
vation made for the house-walls or a cellar, 
there will generally be enough earth near the 
house to furnish all the filling needed in making 
the required slope. This soil, which is almost 
always hard, should be worked over until it is as 
fine and mellow as possible, for a good lawn 
cannot be made from a coarse and lumpy soil. 

If the soil is not rich, it should be made so. 
I would advise the use of bone-meal in liberal 
quantity in preference to barn-yard fertilizer, 
because it never introduces the seeds of weeds 
into the lawn, as manure from the stables is 
very sure to do. Coarse bone-meal, in the pro- 
portion of a half pound to each square yard, 
will give a soil of ordinary quality strength 
enough to produce an excellent growth of 
grass. 

12 



OF THE LAWN 



After you have made the soil fine and mellow 
by working it thoroughly with hoe and rake, — 
adding the bone-meal the last time you go over 
it, — level it as evenly as possible, beginning at 
the house and working towards the front and 
sides of the lot. If some portions of it seem 
less firm under foot than others, beat them 
down until the entire surface seems alike in 
this respect. If this is not done it will settle 
unevenly. 

\5j >oi <o 

IT is very important that a good quality of 
lawn-grass seed should be used. You 
cannot secure a deep, thick, velvety sward with 
ordinary grass-seed. There are many kinds of 
lawn-grass " mixtures." Nearly all kinds sold 
by dealers of established reputation are good. 
These "mixtures" are greatly preferable to 
any selection the amateur gardener can make, 
because they are composed of the seeds of such 
grasses as are best adapted to the produc- 
tion of a good sward. They have been 
chosen for this purpose by men who have 
made a study of lawn-making, and we can de- 
pend on them to do all that is claimed for them 
if we do our part of the work well. The price 

13 



MAKING AND CARE 

asked for the best kinds of lawn-grass seeds 
may tempt some to substitute a cheaper article 
which ignorant or unscrupulous dealers may 
claim to be as good as the best, but whoever 
does this will be making a mistake. The best 
is the cheapest. 

It will be seen, in reading the catalogues of 
the seedsmen, that a thick sowing is advised. 
Some persons have told me that they believed 
this to be advice given with a view to selling a 
larger quantity of seed, and they have accord- 
ingly ignored it and bought a smaller quantity 
than was advised. The result is invariably 
unsatisfactory. You will be obliged to wait 
one or two years for a good sward if you sow 
your lawn thinly, but thick sowing will give 
you a very satisfactoiy sward the first year, 
and a thick, deep one the second season. The 
extra amount of money required for thick 
sowing will be found well invested. 

The proper time for sowing the seed is on a 
still, rather damp day. If a brisk wind is 
blowing the seed will be scattered where you 
do not want it to go. Even a slight breeze will 
carry it quite a distance, and the variations of 
the wind at sowing-time will be shown on the 
lawn by thick grass here and thin grass there, 

14 



OF THE LAWN 



thus giving a spotted effect which can only be 
remedied by a second sowing on the places 
where the grass is thin. In a still day, and a 
damp one, when the air is rather heavy, the seed 
can be scattered with a reasonable degree of 
evenness by the amateur gardener. It is a good 
plan to sow across from north to south, and 
cross-sow from east to west. In this way you 
are pretty sure to miss no part of the ground. 
As a general thing the seed will germinate in 
four or five days, and in a week the soil will 
show a film of green over its entire surface. A 
month later the soil will be quite hidden by the 
grass. Then you can form an opinion of what 
your lawn will be when the sward is fully estab- 
lished on it. It will take it all of one season 
to thicken up and " stool out," but while it is 
doing this it will afford a vast amount of pleas- 
ure to the maker and his family. No lawn is 
at its best before the second or third year. 

^ <^ <^ 

MOST amateur lawn-makers are sorely 
tempted to make use of the lawn-mower 
before the newly seeded lawn is ready for it. I 
would earnestly advise waiting until the grass 
gets to be at least four or five inches tall before 

15 



MAKING AND CARE 



beginning to clip it. It should be allowed to 
get such a start that mowing off the top of it 
will not interfere with root-action sufficiently to 
injure it. About all that should be done in the 
early stages of mowing a newly made lawn is 
to clip off the blades of grass, leaving the crown 
of each plant untouched. Later, when the 
stooling-out process has taken place, you can 
set the mower-knives to cut lower without any 
risk to the health of the plants, and the result 
will be a sward that looks and feels like velvet. 
A lawn with such a sward is good for years if 
proper care is taken of it. But never shave it, 
as many do, thus destroying the greatest charm 
of it. If you cut it too close, it will take on a 
rusty, brown look from the dead grass-leaves 
which are always to be found at the bottom of 
the sward. There should always be grass 
enough left standing to hide this collection of 
debris, which cannot be prevented from accu- 
mulating. If the season is a rather wet one, it 
may be necessary to use the lawn-mower three 
times a week, but in an ordinary season twice 
a week will be quite enough. Never allow the 
grass to get the start of you if you want your 
lawn to have the attractiveness every well-kept 
lawn ought to possess, for it will be found im- 

16 



OF THE LAWN 



possible to cut it smoothly with the ordinary 
lawn-mower when it has been neglected for 
several days. The way to keep it looking well 
is to give it regular and careful attention. 

The question will probably suggest itself: 
What is meant by the term "proper care" in 
addition to the mowing and raking of the lawn? 
It consists in keeping the soil well supplied with 
nutriment, sufficient to meet all the demands of 
the grasses of w^hich the sward is composed. 
The idea seems to prevail that grass will grow 
anywhere and under all conditions — that all 
one has to do, in fact, is to give it a chance 
to get a start, and thereafter it will take care of 
itself. Such is not the case, however. It is 
true that it w ill live indefinitely, but it will not 
be a satisfactor}^ existence to the owner of the 
lawn. It will take on a pinched, starved look 
after a little, utterly at variance with one's idea 
of the ideal lawn. Grass, like all other plants, 
exhausts the nutrifying elements of the soil, 
and unless more nutriment is supplied there 
will be a constant deterioration in the quality 
of the sward. The secret of a successful lawn 
— the thing of beauty which may be made a 
joy as its wants are given attention — consists 
in feeding well the various grasses of which its 

2 17 



MAKING AND CARE OF THE LAWN 

sward is composed. Every lawn should be 
treated to a good top-dressing of lawn fertilizer 
in spring and again in August. These two 
applications of fertilizer will keep the grass in 
good health and make it vigorous and luxuriant 
year after year. In these days of scientifically 
prepared fertilizers it is an easy matter to pro- 
cure one especially adapted to the requirements 
of the lawn at a cost but slightly exceeding 
that of ordinary barn-j^ard manure to those liv- 
ing in city or village. This fertilizer is com- 
posed of various elements of plant-grovii:h so 
proportioned that most satisfactory results are 
sure to follow its use. 




FLOWER-BEDS : 

THEIR MAKING AND CARE 



From hearts of friends the sweet of love hath 
passed, 
I know not why, or when: 
But you — fair, faithful Blossoms! to the last 
Keep fragrance — now, as then. 

Sir Edwin Arnold: The Faithful Flowers. 

Heart's ease or pansy, pleasure or thought. 
Which would the picture give us of these? 
Surely the heart that conceived it sought 
Heart's ease. 

Swinburne: A Flower Piece by Fanten. 




Sweet letters of the angel tongue, 

I've loved ye long and well, 
And never have failed in your fragrance sweet 

To find some secret spell, — 
A charm that has bound me with witching power. 

For mine is the old belief. 
That midst your sweets and midst your bloom, 

There's a soul in every leaf ! 

M. M. Ballou: Flowers. 



FLOWER-BEDS: THEIR 
MAKING AND CARE 




WOULD find a place for the 
flower-beds at one side of the 
house, if possible, and well 
back towards the rear, thus 
carrying the suggestion of 
isolation between house and 
street to the farthest possible 
limit. In locating the flower-beds in front of 
the house we are quite sure to convey the im- 
pression that we put them there for the admira- 
tion of the passer-by rather than the enjoyment 
of the family. Such ought not to be the case. 
The flower-bed ought to be where it will afford 
most pleasure to the household. If the condi- 
tions which prevail would not allow me to place 
them well towards the rear of the grounds, I 
would have them near the house, — along the 
walls of it, in fact, — thus keeping the lawn 
intact by preventing any infringement on its 
dignity. The beds near the house should be 
reserved for annuals and low-growing peren- 
nial plants as a general thing, though tall- 

21 



FLOWER-BEDS: THEIR 

growing sorts can often be planted in nooks 
and corners and against a wide space of win- 
dowless wall with fine effect. I would not 
advise using the two classes together to a great 
extent, however. Give the hardy plants a 
place of their own, where they can receive the 
care they require, which is quite different from 
that required by the annuals. 

In the beds given over to annuals, during the 
summer, bulbs can be grown to excellent ad- 
vantage. These should be near the house, 
where their beauty can be enjoyed by its occu- 
pants without their being obliged to go out- 
of-doors to pay them a visit. The plants will 
have completed their flowering before the time 
comes to plant annuals among them. This can 
be done without disturbing them, if one is care- 
ful in stirring the soil for the reception of seed. 
It will not be necessary to go down into the 
soil with rake or hoe deep enough to reach the 
bulb. Leave the foliage untouched, as it is 
quite necessary that it should remain until the 
bulb has completed its annual growth, which 
takes place immediately after flowering. As 
soon as the growing period is over, this foliage 
will ripen and fall off, and there will be no dis- 
figurement of the bed from it. 

22 



MAKING AND CARE 

No garden should be without its collection of 
bulbs. By the use of this class of most bril- 
liant and beautiful flowers we can extend the 
season of bloom at least a month, thus brighten- 
ing and seemingly shortening what would 
otherwise be a rather dismal, cheerless interval 
between the going of the snow and the coming 
of the earlier border-flowers. They like a 
deep, rich, mellow soil of loam and sand, and 
this soil also suits most annuals well. They 
should be planted in the fall. Late September 
and early October is the best time to do this 
work, as it can be done leisurely, therefore is 
likely to be well done. It is also to the advan- 
tage of the bulbs that it be done before cold 
weather sets in, as this enables them to become 
well established before the ground freezes. If 
planted late, much of this work on their part 
will have to be done in spring, at a time when 
all the energies of the plant ought to be con- 
centrated in the production of flowers. By all 
means have some Hyacinths and Tulips and 
Daffodils, with clumps of Crocus and Snow- 
drop, to usher in the spring before winter seems 
to have really taken its departure. Bulbs cost 
but little in dollars and cents, and they require 
but little attention, but they afford a wonder- 

23 



FLOWER-BEDS: THEIR 

ful amount of pleasure. Coming, as they do, 
so far in advance of all other garden-flowers, 
we appreciate them more than almost anything 
else we can grow in the garden. 

The best annuals for the amateur gardener 
to grow are those whose merits have been fully 
proved by long years of cultivation. These, 
for the most part, are sturdy, self-reliant kinds, 
which give large returns in bloom for a small 
amount of care. Among the best annuals for 
the amateur I would name the following: 
Phlox Drummondii, Sweet Peas, Petunias, 
Asters, Ten-week Stock, Calliopsis, Balsam, 
Morning-glory, JMignonette, and Sweet Alys- 
sum. All these, with the exception of the 
Aster and Stock, will come into bloom quite 
early in the season, and continue to produce an 
abundance of flowers until frost comes if they 
are kept from ripening seed. I would advise 
sowing the seeds of these flowers in the beds 
where they are to remain during the summer, 
between the first and the middle of ]May at the 
North. In the latitude of Washington they 
can be sown a fortnight earlier. The amateur 
gardener is not successful, as a general thing, 
in his or her attemj^t to gain a month or six 

weeks by starting plants into early growth in 

u 



MAKING AND CARE 

the living-room. There the conditions are all 
against a healthy and vigorous growth of seed- 
ling plants. Instead of gaining by early sow- 
ing we are pretty sure to lose by it, as house- 
grown plants are almost always so lacking in 
vitality that they suffer by transplanting to the 
open ground. Plants from seed sown at that 
time will generally come into bloom before the 
early-started plants become strong and well 
established. 

In addition to the annuals named above I 
would advise the liberal use of Pansies, which 
can be grown from seed for late flowering, or 
from plants bought from the florist for spring 
blooming, also of Tea Roses, which seldom out- 
grow the limits of the annual-plant bed. By 
the judicious cutting-back of such branches as 
have borne flowers from time to time during 
the season, in order to encourage new growth, 
they can be made to bloom throughout the 
entire summer and late into the fall. No 
flower is more beautiful or more fragrant than 
those of this class of Roses. 

I would plant hardy perennials along the 
sides of the home lot. Here they will hide the 
fence, should there be one, and afl'ord a back- 
ground against which the beauty of the lawn 

25 



FLOWER-BEDS: THEIR 

will be strongly emphasized. Here I would 
also plant such hardy shrubs as deserve a place 
on the small lawn, grouping those of similar 
habit, and scattering tall, strong growers 
among the border plants. If the owners of 
adjoining lots can work in harmony, very 
pleasing effects can be secured by this style of 
planting. To secure the best results low-grow- 
ing plants should be given a place next to the 
street, gradually increasing the height of the 
border as it recedes, thus bringing the tallest 
plants at the sides of the house and well to the 
rear. In this way we form a sort of back- 
ground against which to view the entire lawn 
and house. The general effect will be found 
very satisfactory. 

For groups of shrubbery we have no finer 
plants than the Spiraeas and the Hydrangea. 
When planted singly they are never so charm- 
ing as when massed together, thus producing a 
strong effect. Our best hardy large shrub is 
the Lilac. Every yard ought to Jiave three or 
four of its best varieties. If I could have but 
one shrub it should be this. Syringas, Weige- 
lias, and Halesias are excellent shrubs, of very 
easy culture. Bear in mind that a few shrubs, 
well grown, are much more satisfactory than a 

26 




A SYMMETRICAL HYDRANGEA 



MAKING AND CARE 

large number of inferior ones. Also do not 
overlook the fact that small grounds cannot 
accommodate many large plants, such as most 
shrubs will become in a few years. Therefore, 
to avoid overcrowding, plant sparingly, and 
allow for future development. When a shrub 
loses its individuality in this manner its beauty 
and usefulness are at an end. 

Roses of the hardier class, of which all gar- 
dens should have a good collection, can be 
grown to better advantage if planted by them- 
selves. There they can be given the treat- 
ment they require without interference from 
other shrubs. They are somewhat exclusive in 
their tendencies, and always seem to resent any 
attempt on our part to make them grow among 
less aristocratic plants. They are never able 
to forget their royal lineage, and demand the 
best places and the most attention. But we 
forgive them their exactions because of their 
beauty, and are always glad to do their bidding. 
A garden without its roses is not living up to 
its privileges. 

The busy gardener — that is, the gardener 
who is occupied during the greater part of the 
day with business or household duties — will 
find hardy perennial plants more satisfactory, 

27 



FLOWER-BEDS: THEIR 

all things considered, than any others. They 
require the least care. Once established, they 
are good for years. Some begin to bloom 
quite early in the season. Others bloom in mid- 
summer, and some are in their prime when frost 
comes. Nearl}^ all of them are profuse bloom- 
ers, and most of them are extremely brilliant in 
color. For early flowering I would advise the 
Dicentra, the Peony, and the Lily of the Val- 
ley. A little later the herbaceous Spirgeas will 
appear upon the scene, followed by the Lark- 
spurs and the earlier Phloxes. Then comes 
the Hollyhock — perhaps the most attractive of 
all our hardy plants — and the new Rudbeckia, 
which is the most brilliant of all plants when 
in the prime of its golden glory, and the late 
varieties of Phlox will prolong the dazzling 
pageant of late autumn's splendor until the 
withering touch of the frost is laid upon every- 
thing in the garden. 

Shrubs and perennials can be planted in fall 
or in spring. If fall-planting is most con- 
venient, do it as soon after the foliage has ri- 
pened as possible. Earty fall planting allows 
the plant to become somewhat established be- 
fore winter sets in. Spring planting should 
not be attempted until the ground is in good 

28 



MAKING AND CARE 

condition for working. Allow the surplus 
moisture to drain away from it before you stir 
it. You cannot set out plants satisfactorily in 
a soil heavy with water. At the North, the 
ground is not in proper condition for this work 
before the last of April, as a general thing. 

In planting the border avoid straight lines 
and all formality. Let it curve gracefully 
next the lawn. Where it is widest, plant your 
groups of shrubs and such tall plants as the 
Hollyhock, the Rudbeckia, and the Larkspur. 
Give the lower growers, like Dicentra, Coreop- 
sis, and the dwarf Phloxes, a place in the 
foreground. If j^ou know your plants, — as 
every gardener ought to, — it will be an easy 
matter to so group and combine them that 
none of the smaller ones are hidden by the 
larger ones. It will also be an easy matter to 
get harmonizing colors together. In order 
to make sure of this, if you are not familiar 
with what you plant, study the catalogues of 
the florists well. These generally give height, 
color, and season of bloom, and if you are 
governed by this information, you need make 
but few mistakes in planting. Whatever mis- 
takes you make this year can be rectified next 
year. The gardener who loves his work will 

29 



FLOWER-BEDS: THEIR 

always study eiFects and plan changes by which 
improvements can be made, and year by year 
the home-grounds will take on additional 
beauty. The making of a fine garden is, like 
the construction of a lawn, an evolutionary 
process, and the work required by it cannot, in 
the very nature of things, be done in one year 
or in two. This is one of the charms of gar- 
dening. What we do this season suggests 
something new for next season. There is 
always novelty and variety about it. 

I have named but few kinds among the long 
list of annuals, perennials, and shrubs. I have 
confined mention to those which I know from 
personal experience to be most satisfactory in 
the hands of the amateur gardener. I would 
not advise going outside this list until experi- 
ence justifies its extension. When one has 
grown hardy plants successfully — and not till 
then — he may safely undertake the cultivation 
of kinds which are more exacting in their re- 
quirements. The amateur who confines him- 
self or herself to a small list of strong and 
robust plants at the beginning, gives evidence 
of possessing a wisdom which will lead to better 
things bj'^ and b)^ 

To grow either annuals or hardy jjerennials 

30 



MAKING AND CARE 

well, grass and weeds must be kept from en- 
croaching upon their domain. Among the 
annuals one will have to do more or less hand- 
weeding while they are small. This is rather 
hard, unpleasant work, but it is work which 
must be done if you would grow good flowers. 
Most of this work has to be done during the 
early part of the season, Avhen the flowering 
plants are getting a start. If it is done thor- 
oughly then, there will not be much weeding 
to be done after July. In the border the hoe 
can be made to do what the hand has to do 
among the annuals, thus greatly lightening the 
labor. Keep the soil stirred well about all the 
plants and fertilize it well. Good flowers can- 
not be grown in a poor soil. The fertilizer 
advised for use on the lawn is a good one for 
general purposes. Worked into the soil of the 
beds where annuals are grown, it produces a 
strong, healthy growth of foliage and flowers. 
Each spring it should be used liberally in the 
border. Scatter a handful of it about each 
plant, and then dig it into the soil well with hoe 
or trowel. The shrubs should be treated to an 
application of it also, in order to bring about a 
luxuriant development. While there are manj^ 
good fertilizers on the market, I know of noth- 

31 



FLOWER-BEDS: THEIR CARE 

ing better, in a general way, than coarsely- 
ground bone-meal. The finely ground article 
brings about more immediate results, but the 
good effects of it are not so lasting. 

Perennials grown from seed will not bloom 
until the second season, therefore those desiring 
bloom the first season from this class of plants 
will have to purchase plants from the florist. 
A collection of hardy perennials gives larger 
returns for labor and time expended on them 
than any other class of plants the amateur can 
grow. For those who have but little leisure 
to devote to gardening I would advise the use 
of them exclusively. A small bed of annuals 
will require more care than a large collection of 
perennials. But I would advise the cultivation 
of both classes, for each has its peculiar charm. 
The gardener who grows plants because he 
loves them will not be satisfied unless his gar- 
den contains some of all kinds. 




A GARDEN 

OF NATIVE PLANTS 




The shad-bush, white with flowers, 
Brightened the glens; the new leaved butternut 
And quivering poplar to the roving breeze 
Gave a balsamic fragrance. 

Bryant: The Old Man's Counsel. 




Because its myriad glimmering plumes 

Like a great army's stir and wave; 
Because its golden billow blooms, 

The poor man's barren walks to lave: 
Because its sun-shaped blossoms show 

How souls receive the light of God, 
And unto earth give back that glow — 

I thank Him for the Goldenrod. 

Lucy Larcom: Goldenrod. 



A GARDEN OF NATIVE 
PLANTS 



• ••••• 




URING the last few years 
a decided change has taken 
place in one phase of Ameri- 
can gardening. The atten- 
tion of the home gardeners 
has been called to the beauty 
and other good qualities of 
our native plants, and it is becoming quite com- 
mon among those who are setting out shrubs 
and hardy plants to give the preference to 
those of American growth. This is as it should 
be. Our national pride ought to influence us to 
choose native plants instead of foreign ones 
whenever equally desirable and meritorious 
specimens can be found at home. That we 
have many plants quite as desirable as foreign 
ones comparatively few Americans under- 
stand. They have seen the discrimination 
which has existed so long in favor of imported 
plants and has practically crowded out our 
native species, and, quite naturally, they have 
come to the conclusion that this discrimination 

35 



A GARDEN OF 



must be based on the suj^eriority of the foreign 
kinds. But such is really not the case. 



IN this paper I shall name a few only of the 
shrubs and plants which can be procured in 
most localities at the North which will be found 
best adapted by the amateur to lawn and gar- 
den culture. After experimenting with these 
for a season or two, he can enlarge his collec- 
tion and add to it year by year from the almost 
inexhaustible stock which can be drawn on 
from field, forest, and pasture. 

The White-flowered Elder grows almost 
everywhere. It is a pleasing shrub as to foli- 
age. Its habit of growth is sj^reading and 
rather symmetrical. When in full bloom it is 
almost covered with immense flat panicles of 
creamy white flowers so delicate in form and so 
arranged that the sight of them suggests lace 
of the finest pattern. The flowers last for 
about a fortnight. They are followed by 
fruit. One variety has scarlet berries, the 
other dark purple ones. The scarlet-fruited 
sort is most showy. Well-grown specimens of 
this shrub are quite as ornamental, when in 
bloom, as any Hydrangea, and their flowers 

36 



NATIVE PLANTS 



are a thousand- fold more dainty and beautiful. 
In fall, when the berries ripen, they make the 
shrub most attractive. The Elder is very easy 
to transplant, very easy to grow, and adapts 
itself readily to any soil. 

The Sumach is a strikingly beautiful shrub. 
During summer its tufts of long leaves are 
suggestive of the fronds of some of the larger 
ferns. In fall it takes on the richest shades 
of red, yellow, maroon, and bronze. A bush 
of it always makes me think that JNIrs. Brown- 
ing must have had it in mind when she wrote 
that line in " Aurora Leigh " about 

"The wayside bush afire with God." 

We have but one other native plant that 
can equal it in splendor of autumn coloring, 
and that is the Ampelopsis, or Virginia 
Creeper. When the Sumach bears fruit it has 
an additional attraction. Its berries are small 
individually, but there will be hundreds in a 
cluster, and the velvety coat of glowing crim- 
son which incases them makes the spikes in 
which they are borne a striking feature of dec- 
oration, especially if the plant is so placed that 
it can have the background of an evergreen for 
the display of its beauty. As this plant often 

37 



A GARDEN OF 



grows to be ten, twelve, or fifteen feet tall, it is 
better adapted for locations in the rear of the 
grounds than for a more central position. 

Viburnum opulus, better known in country 
neighborhoods as High-bush Cranberry, is a 
shrub of very easy culture. It is a near rela- 
tive of the Viburnum more commonly known 
as Snowball or Guelder-rose. In that well- 
known variety the whole cyme is turned into 
a showy mass of sterile flowers, and no fruit is 
ever produced. The native variety is quite as 
attractive as the cultivated kind as regards habit 
of growth and foliage. In fall it is far more 
attractive, for the leaves change from green 
to pale yellow and red. But the most attrac- 
tive feature of the plant is its great clusters of 
bright crimson berries, which generally remain 
on the branches all winter. We have no better 
plant for the winter decoration of the lawn. 
Its berries are quite as brilliantly effective as 
any flowers could be, and especially so when the 
chief color in the landscape is white, whose con- 
trast throws them into vivid relief. The great 
value of the shrub will be readily recognized 
by those who have given some study to the 
selection of plants suitable for the winter dec- 
oration of the grounds about the dwelling. In 

38 



NATIVE PLANTS 



winter we cannot have flowers out-of-doors, 
but by making use of fruit-bearing shrubs we 
secure good substitutes for them, and the garden 
may be reheved of the monotony of color which 
has heretofore characterized it. By planting 
these brilliantly fruited shrubs near evergreens 
or in front of them we get a combination of 
colors which furnishes contrast and brings out 
the artistic value of each in a most delightful 
manner. It is high time we gave this phase 
of gardening more attention, for our yards 
ought to be so planted as to be beautiful at all 
seasons. There is no reason why they should 
not be if we are willing to study out the 
problem of selection and combination carefully 
and intelligently. 

The Golden-rod makes an excellent garden 
plant. To bring out its beauty fully, associate 
with it the Aster, which is almost everywhere 
found growing alongside it. The pale rosy 
violet and lavender of the latter heighten the 
yellow of the Golden-rod and make it truly 
golden in its richness of depth and tone. If 
you have an out-of-the-way corner, I would 
suggest that you give these two plants a place 
in it where they can have everything their own 
way. Don't attempt to train them, — simply 

39 



A GARDEN OF 



plant them and let them take care of them- 
selves; they will do it, and surprise you with 
the luxuriance they take on in their new quar- 
ters. The fact is they never have half a 
chance in roadside and pasture, and they are 
quick to take advantage of an opportunity to 
do themselves justice. You will find that a 
corner given up to these two plants will prove 
one of the most attractive places in the garden. 
Thalictrum — Meadow Rue — is one of the 
most beautiful border plants I know of. Its 
abundant foliage has all the grace and delicacy 
peculiar to certain varieties of the fern family, 
and so close is its resemblance to some of the 
ferns that most persons consider it one of them. 
It is, however, in no wise related to them. 
It grows in a compact mass, above which its 
tall flower-stalks are lifted to a height of two 
or three feet, bearing plumy tufts of greenish- 
white flowers tinged with purple, with yellow- 
ish anthers drooping from fine filaments in such 
a manner as to give the plsmi an extremely airy 
and graceful appearance. A more delightful 
plant cannot be imagined. Nothing equals it 
for cutting for use in vases containing flowers 
of rich color. Its neutral tints harmonize with 
them perfectl}^ and afford all the contrast 

40 




CLEMATIS PANICULATA 



NATIVE PLANTS 



needed to bring out fully all the beauty of the 
colors used in combination with them. Its 
foliage is as useful in cut-flower work as its 
blossoms are. Whoever gives this plant a 
place in the garden will be delighted with it. 

Clematis flammula, better known as Vir- 
gin's Bower, or Traveller's Joy, is one of the 
loveliest flowering vines I have ever seen; not 
because of a wealth of rich color, but because 
of simple beauty. It grows rapidly under 
domestication, often making a growth of 
twenty or twenty-five feet in a season after 
becoming well established. In September it is 
covered with pure white flowers borne in 
spreading clusters along the branches set out 
from the main stalks. These flowers, seen 
against the background of green foliage, are 
always sure to attract attention because of their 
profusion and the airy, graceful disposal of 
them over the plant. The efl'ect is quite like 
that of great flakes of snow lightly adhering to 
the many branches. I much prefer this native 
Clematis to any of the hybrids of the Jaclonanii 
type. We can deiiend on this under all condi- 
tions. This cannot be said truthfully of the 
large-flowered section. This Clematis will be 
found one of the most useful of all plants for 

41 



A GARDEN OF 



cutting from with a view to using it in vases in 
combination with other flowers. Its bloom, 
because of color and daintiness, harmonizes 
with all other flowers and is never obtrusive. 
Flowers of this kind are always needed where 
much of the beauty of efl'ect in the combination 
depends on contrast and relief. As a general 
thing flowers having the qualities needed to 
afford contrast and relief are so self-assertive 
that they are not willing to take a subordinate 
position. This the Clematis is willing to do, 
and it does it so charmingly that it never loses 
anything by its unselfishness. 



I HAVE mentioned the Ampelopsis as being 
verjT^ attractive in fall, but it deserves a 
more extended mention in order to call atten- 
tion to its many other merits. It is of the 
easiest culture. Obtain a small plant with a bit 
of root attached and it will seldom fail to grow. 
As soon as it becomes established it will send up 
vines which grow twenty feet in a season, and 
spread out in all directions to such an extent 
that the growth from one root often extends 
across the entire side of a good-sized house, and 
can be made completely to cover it. There are 

42 



NATIVE PLANTS 



two varieties in cultivation. One has little 
sucker-like discs which attach themselves to 
boards, brick, or stone, thus furnishing sup- 
port for the branches which send them out. 
This variety needs no assistance in climbing, 
as it is fully able to take care of itself. The 
other sort has tendrils like those of the grape. 
These furnish support for the vines by twining 
about something or by thrusting their fingers 
into cracks and crevices. But as these cracks 
and crevices are not always at hand, and there 
is not always something in reach about which 
the tendrils can tw^ist themselves, it will be 
necessary to assist the plant by stretching wires 
from point to point or tacking the vines here 
and there to the wall. This variety is most luxu- 
riant in growth and is therefore most popular 
among those who like a great show of foliage, 
but the other variety is really the most satis- 
factory in the end, as it makes a closer, shorter 
covering for a wall, and is in this respect an 
excellent substitute for the English Ivy. In 
October both varieties take on a magnificent 
color, in which crimson and maroon predom- 
inate. No flowers were ever more vivid than 
the foliage of these vines in mid-autumn. 
English people are beginning to appreciate 

43 



A GARDEN OF 



the wonderful beauty of this plant, and it is 
being used in England extensively; but I fear 
the climate there will not bring out its beauty 
as striking^ as our frosty climate does. If I 
were asked to choose one vine, foreign or 
native, for general use, I should select the 
Ampelopsis. Any one can grow it. It flour- 
ishes in any soil except a very dry, sandy one. 



ANOTHER excellent vine is Celastrus 
scandens, commonly known as Bitter- 
sweet. It will grow to almost any height 
provided it is given something to twine about. 
It is prodigal in its j)roduction of branches and 
foliage. We often come across it in its native 
habitat with a small tree as its support, and the 
tree is so laden that it fairly bends beneath the 
weight of the vine. Its foliage is a bright, 
pleasing green. Its clusters of small, greenish- 
white flowers are succeeded by fruit which is 
enclosed in a shell of orange. In fall, after 
frost comes, this shell divides in three pieces, 
and the sections are reflexed enough to show a 
red berry within. The efl'ect of these orange- 
and-red clusters pendent from every branch 
and borne in great profusion all over the vine 

44 



NATIVE PLANTS 



is very charming. In this vine we have another 
plant with w^hich great things can be done in 
the way of making home-grounds attractive 
in winter. 

Vernonia, or Ironweed, is a vigorous plant, 
suited to any soil, w4th large heads of intense 
purple flowers. It is well adapted to the back 
row of the border or for planting among 
shrubs. 

The Asclepias are of easy culture, growing 
in any ordinary soil and obtainable almost 
anywhere. For the border they are far supe- 
rior to nine-tenths of the plants we import. 

Cornel, or Dogwood, which can be found 
growing plentifully in almost all swampy 
places, is well adapted to the garden. There 
are several varieties, some having yellow and 
some white flowers, succeeded by scarlet, blue, 
and white berries. One variety is the Red 
Osier, which has branches covered with a bril- 
liant red bark. The efl'ect of these branches 
when seen against a snowy background in win- 
ter is very pleasing. 

The Amelanchier, better known as Shad- 
bush, w^hitens the places in which it grows with 
a profusion of bloom in early spring. It is an 
excellent shrub for the lawn. It can be trans- 

45 



A GARDEN OF 



planted with ease and safety. Because of its 
vigorous habit it is advisable to give it a place 
somewhat in the background. In time it 
becomes quite a tree. 

The Andromeda is one of the most beautiful 
of all our native shrubs. It blossoms in April. 
Its flowers are drooping and bell-shaped. Of 
this plant Emerson says, "Few exotics have 
such elegance of appearance as this," and he 
was a close observer of nature. 

Clethra alnifolia, or Sweet-pepper Bush, is 
worthy a place in any garden, and ought by all 
means to be included in every collection of 
American plants. It has fine foliage, and its 
spikes of white flowers, produced during nearly 
the entire summer, are as attractive to us as 
they are to the bees, which delight in its spicy 
sweetness. It is of the easiest culture. 

Hamamelis, or Witch-hazel, is a native shrub 
which has many and peculiar attractions. It is 
equally interesting to the farmer, who finds it 
putting forth its fringy flowers just as the first 
snows begin to fall; to the artist, who sees in 
it most fantastic lines of leaf and blossom, and 
to the botanist, who sees in its strange habit of 
flowering at the beginning of winter a hint of 
a descent from some form which had, no doubt, 

46 



NATIVE PLANTS 



climatic conditions to contend with quite unlike 
those of to-day. Have you ever noticed its 
habit of shooting its smooth, black seeds, when 
ripe, to a distance, thus distributing itself over 
a wider territory without the assistance of man 
or bird? As a purely decorative shrub few 
things can excel it. Its large leaves of golden- 
green changing to a bright yellow in fall, its 
double crop of blossoms and seeds at the same 
time, and its vigorous habit of growth will be 
made the most of by every wise amateur gar- 
dener. 



THE lover of ferns will find it an easy 
matter to domesticate many of the most 
attractive varieties if he or she will be content 
to take young plants. They should be removed 
from their native haunts with a good amount of 
soil adhering to their roots. Give them, if pos- 
sible, a shady place to grow in, and make the 
soil as light as that in which they originally 
grew. It is well worth while to get a wagon- 
load or two of soil from the woods for the 
especial use of these plants. In lifting them, 
wrap each one as soon as lifted in stout paper 
and set them in a deep basket, applying enough 

47 



A GARDEN OF NATIVE PLANTS 

water to saturate the soil clinging to the roots. 
Do not plant them in the border until after 
sundown. If the next day is sunny, shade 
them well and shower them frequently. In 
some instances most of the old fronds will die 
off, but if care is taken in lifting and planting, 
and the necessary amount of shade and water 
is given, few of the leaves will be lost. 

All the shrubs and plants mentioned can be 
removed safely in spring. In planting them 
liave the soil mellow, make the hole large 
enough to accommodate all the roots without 
cramping them, and settle the soil about them 
by applying water after you have them covered 
to the depth of two or three inches. Then fill 
in with the dryer soil and press it down well 
with the foot all about the plant. 

It will be found that all native plants take 
on a strength and luxuriance of growth under 
domestication such as they never exhibit when 
growing wild. 




BACK-YARD GARDENS AND 
WINDOW-BOXES 




Wondrous interlacement ! 
Holding fast to threads by green and silky rings, 
With the dawn it spreads its white and purple 

wings; 
Generous in its bloom, and sheltering while it 
clings. 
Sturdy morning-glory. 

Helen Hunt: Morning-Glory. 



Here are sweet peas, on tiptoe for a flight; 
With wings of gentle flush o'er delicate white, 
And taper fingers catching at all things. 
To bind them all about with tiny rings. 

Keats: I Stood Tiptoe upon a Little Hill. 




As for marigolds, poppies, hollyhocks, and valorous 
sunflowers, we shall never have a garden without 
them, both for their own sake, and for the sake 
of old-fashioned folks, who used to love them. 

Henry Wakd Beecher: A Discourse of Flowers. 



BACK- YARD GARDENS 
AND WINDOW-BOXES 




HEN I not long ago visited a 
friend who lives among hud- 
dled city houses, a thought of 
green things growing in the 
fragment of a back yard 
which it was my privilege to 
enjoy made me wonder if it 
were not possible to do something to improve 
the condition of things in some of these substi- 
tutes for a real home, and one day I suggested 
to my friend the advisability of making an 
experiment in that direction. " It seems to 
me you might grow a few common flowers," I 
said. 

"I wish I might," she responded, "but I 
don't believe anything would grow in a back 
yard. I don't see how it could. The weeds 
won't, and if they can't flourish, how could you 
expect flowers to? " 

" Let's look it over," I said, and we went out 
to take observations. The prospect was far 
from encouraging, I had to admit. There was 

51 



BACK-YARD GARDENS 

the usual accumulation of old boxes, cans, and 
other refuse which one sees in such places. In 
this respect this particular back yard was like 
most of its kind, but it had the advantage of a 
little sunshine, and that was a great deal in its 
favor when viewed from the stand-point of the 
amateur gardener. 

" I think we can do something with it," I 
said, after looking it over. "At any rate, we'll 
try. Turn the boys over to me for a time, and 
we'll see what can be done in the way of a 
beginning." 

There were two small boys in the family, 
and, like all boys, they were fond of experi- 
menting in any new field, and when I explained 
my garden-plan to them, they were enthusiastic 
over it, as I had expected they would be. Boys, 
as a general thing, like to dig, and hoe, and 
spade in the soil. There is enough of the prim- 
itive husbandman left in them for that. 

We set to work at once, before enthusiasm 
had a chance to cool. The first thing we did 
was to dig a hole in one corner of the yard in 
which to bury all the rubbish that could not be 
burned up. When looked at from the gar- 
dener's stand-point, the soil was hard and un- 
promising to a discouraging degree, but I 

52 



AND WINDOW-BOXES 

knew that it could be made mellower, if not 
reallj' melloM, by putting a good deal of hard 
work on it, and w^as not disheartened by its 
stubborn look. In fact, I think I rather en- 
joyed the prospect of the hard fight before us, 
for I have always taken considerable delight in 
attempting to overcome obstacles after being 
told by others that there was no use in trying. 
I like to convince people that where there's a 
will there's a way, if one only sets out with the 
determination to find it. 

After we had buried some of the refuse and 
burned up the rest, the yard was so greatly 
improved in its appearance that the boys said, 
" It paid to slick up, even if we didn't get any 
flowers," and began to take commendable j)ride 
in what had already been accomplished. " But 
we'll have the flowers," I said. " Don't worry 
about that." 



THEN hard work began in earnest. We 
spaded up the ground all around the 
edge of the lot. This was real labor, for 
the tramj)ing of many feet for years had 
made the earth almost as solid as a brick. It 
came up in coarse chunks, and the vigorous 

53 



BACK-YARD GARDENS 

application of an old axe was required to re- 
duce it to the consistency of stove-coal. " It 
doesn't look as if roots could make much head- 
way in it, does it? " I said to the boys. " But 
we haven't done with it j^et. Just wait." 

We left it exposed to the action of air and 
sun. Water was poured over it frequently, 
and the boys were instructed to " keep working 
at it" by odd spells. And they did so faith- 
fully, with axe and hoe, imtil at last it began 
to look something like soil. 

Then I sent the boys out with baskets, and 
the keeper of a livery-stable near by gave them 
the sweepings of the stalls, on condition that 
they gathered them for themselves and made 
the stalls clean. This they were glad to do, as 
I had told them how necessary it was that the 
soil of the back yard should have some fertiliz- 
ing element added to it if we expected to grow 
good plants in it. These sweepings were not 
ideal fertilizer, by any means, but they were a 
great deal better than nothing, and we mixed 
them well with the coarse earth, thus furnishing 
it with nutriment for the plants we would 
attempt to grow, and making it lighter and 
mellower. It was far from being an ideal soil 
when we were ready for planting our seeds, but 

54 



AND WINDOW-BOXES 

it was so much better than the original soil of 
the back yard that I felt greatly encouraged. 
" We will not try to grow anything but the 
most vigorous plants in it this year," I told the 
boys. So our choice was confined to Petunias, 
Phlox, Calliopsis, Nasturtiums, Zinnias, As- 
ters, Poppies, Marigold, Sweet Peas, and 
^lorning-glories. These last two we put 
along the fence that separated the yard from 
the next neighbor's, and the Zinnias were 
j)lanted in the background, where they would 
suggest a hedge at the boundary of the lot. 
The Sweet Peas were given a width of coarse- 
meshed wire netting as support, and the Morn- 
ing-glories were trained on stout strings run- 
ning from the ground to the top board of the 
fence. By the middle of June no one would 
have known that the dilapidated old fence ex- 
isted, for it was completely covered with vines 
and flowers. The other plants began to bloom 
in June, and as no seed was allowed to ripen, 
they kept on blooming most of the season, 
with more or less profusion. The Asters were 
in their prime in September and lasted until 
cold weather came, thus making the late 
autumn display quite as fine as that of mid- 
summer. 

55 



BACK-YARD GARDENS 

NOW, the amount of pleasure derived 
from this Httle back-yard garden could 
not be computed, as it had a value quite be- 
yond the measure of dollars and cents. The 
mother found a tonic in out-door employment. 
She averred that it rested her to work among 
her flowers, and I have no doubt that it did so, 
because it was a change and a recreation. The 
boys not only enjoyed the companionship of 
the flowers, but they learned many lessons from 
their work as amateur gardeners which may be 
of great benefit to them later in life. " It was 
a relief to me to know where they were," their 
mother said. " If they had not been in the 
garden, they might have been in places where 
boys ought not to be. The garden has been 
a great success as a means of keeping them at 
home. And as a garden, — why, you haven't 
any idea how much it has been to all of us. It 
has kept me from getting homesick. And the 
neighbors have enjoyed it almost as much as 
I have. Every day they came in to look it 
over, and they hardly ever went away without 
a flower or two, and it made me feel quite rich 
in being able to give them. A success? Why, 
of course it has been a success — one of the suc- 
cesses we mean to repeat every year after this, 

56 



AND WINDOW-BOXES 

since it has proved to us that we need not go 
without flowers even if we haven't anything 
but a city back yard to grow them in." 

Of course the flowers in this back-yard gar- 
den were not up to the standard of the profes- 
sional gardener in any respect; but that was 
not to be expected, because of existing condi- 
tions which could not be fully overcome. But 
they were, all things considered, eminently sat- 
isfactory, for they proved, as my friend said, 
that it is possible to grow flowers under difficul- 
ties, if there is a will to grow them. Next 
summer this back yard of which I have written 
— which is a veritable and not an imaginary 
one, as some may think — will be in better con- 
dition to grow plants than it was last season, 
and a greater measure of success may be ex- 
pected. It was an object-lesson to those who 
saw it, and I venture the prediction that there 
will be several back-yard gardens in that vicin- 
ity the coming summer. 



LET me sum up the important items which 
the foregoing has attempted to make 
plain for the benefit of the back-yard gardener : 
Make the soil as fine as possible. Work it over 

57 



BACK-YARD GARDENS 

and over. Don't be discouraged if it resists 
stubbornly at first — you can conquer it if you 
put enough work on it. Chop it, sj)ade it, 
pound it, — do anything that is calculated to 
pulverize it. 

It will need some kind of fertilizer, and if 
you cannot obtain stable-manure for it, get a 
few pounds of bone-meal and mix into it. This 
will cost but a few cents, and will furnish a 
good deal of plant-food. Indeed, it is quite 
equal to barnyard fertilizer so far as nutriment 
is concerned, but it does not help to lighten the 
soil as that does. 

Do not make the mistake of selecting plants 
difficult to manage. Choose the hardier sorts 
— those which have the reputation of being able 
to take care of themselves pretty well. Keep 
the soil open about them and allow no weeds 
to grow among them. If this is done, you may 
have a very good substitute for the garden 
which possibly you have seen growing under 
more favorable conditions. 

Encourage the children to work in it daily. 
Flowers are safe companions, and a playtime 
spent in happily working, or even idling, 
among the plants is so much toward health of 
body and mind. 

58 ' 



AND WINDOW-BOXES 

BUT, as has been said, not all dwellers in 
the crowded city can have even back- 
yard gardens. Most of them live so far above 
the " ground floor " that the thought of a gar- 
den seems absurd, because of its utter impos- 
sibility. But those who have windows to which 
some sunshine comes can have, as a substitute 
for the back-yard garden, a window-box large 
enough to contain a dozen or more plants, and 
from these, properly managed, it is a compara- 
tively easy matter to secure a good many flow- 
ers throughout the season — enough, indeed, to 
make the lives of those who have their homes 
in tenement-houses and flats so much brighter 
and pleasanter than they would be without 
them that they cannot afl*ord to forego the 
privilege of having them. 

In making a window-box garden it matters 
but little of what the box is made, if it be stout 
and large enough to hold sufficient soil. Have 
it at least ten inches in depth and a foot in 
width. Such a box will contain a good deal of 
soil and will be quite heavy, therefore it is im- 
portant that it be fastened securely to the win- 
dow or wall. Do not be satisfied with nailing it 
in place, but provide it with stout braces run- 
ning from the front edge to the wall below. 

59 



BACK-YARD GARDENS 

Fill it with the best soil you can get. If this 
is lacking in nutritive quality, add some bone- 
meal to it. ^lix at least a teacupful of it into 
enough soil to fill a box of the dimension men- 
tioned, to begin with, and along about midsum- 
mer apply as much more. This will keep your 
plants growing well throughout the season. 

Most persons who attempt window-gardens 
in boxes fail with them, therefore the impres- 
sion prevails that it is not an easy phase of 
gardening. But the reason of failure, nine 
times out of ten, is that not enough water is 
given to supply the needs of the plants. A 
little is applied in the morning and more later 
in the day, and because the surface of the soil 
looks moist, the owner takes it for granted that 
it must be damp all through. An examination 
would convince her that a few inches below 
the surface the soil is almost, if not quite, dust- 
dry. The fact is, evaporation takes place so 
rapidly from a box exposed to the action of air 
and wind and sunshine, as most window-boxes 
are, that small amounts of water do but little 
towards supplying the plants with the moisture 
needed at their roots. To keep it in proper 
condition at least a pailful of water should be 
applied every day, and in very hot weather 

60 




EFFECTIVE USE OF WIXDOW-BOXES 



AND WINDOW-BOXES 

even that may not be enough. Make it a rule 
to use so much water that some will run away 
through the cracks and crevices of the box. 
When this takes place you may be quite sure 
that all the soil in the box is saturated with it. 
And if you keep it saturated throughout the 
season you can grow plants in any window- 
box. This is the secret of success, provided, of 
course, you have chosen plants adapted to win- 
dow-box culture. Do not make use of delicate 
varieties, but use Geraniums, both flowering 
and fragrant-leaved sorts, Coleus, Heliotrope, 
Fuchsia, Lantanas, Petunias, Phlox, Nastur- 
tiums, Mignonette, Sweet Alyssum, and such 
vines as ^Moneywort, Tradescantia, Vinca, 
Othonna, Lobelia, and Saxifraga. Plant 
these at the sides of the box, to droop over and 
hide it. 

A Morning-glory at each end can be trained 
up and over the window, and wdll provide you 
with a floral awning if you give it something 
to clamber over in the shape of a framework 
projecting from the top of the window. 

The window-box garden can easily be made 
a success if the advice given above is followed. 
But fail to suppl}^ a liberal amount of water, 
and failure is a foregone conclusion. 



SPRING 

IN THE GARDEN 




Aud buttercups are coming, 
And scarlet columbine, 

And in the sunny meadows 
The dandelions shine. 

Celia Thaxter: Spring. 



The aqullegia sprinkled on the rocks 

A scarlet rain; the yellow violet 
Sat in the chariot of its leaves; the phlox 

Held spikes of purple flame in meadows wet, 
And all the streams with vernal-scented reed 
Were fringed, and streaky bells of miskodeed. 
Bayard Taylor: Mon-Da-Min. 

Daffodils, 
That come before the swallow dares, and take 
The winds of March with beauty; violets dim, 
But sweeter than the lids of Juno's eyes, 
Or Cytherea's breath; pale primroses. 
That die unmarried ere they can behold 
Bright Phoebus in his strength — a malady 
Most incident to maids; bold oxlips and 
The crown-imperial; lilies of all kinds, 
The flower-de-luce being one! 

Shakespeare: Winter's Tale. 



SPRING IN THE 
GARDEN : : : 




HE amateur gardener is often 
at a loss as to what flowers to 
select for her garden. She 
would like kinds which give 
the greatest amount of bloom 
throughout the season and 
which require the least pos- 
sible amount of care. The woman who is in 
this quandary will do well to remember that 
years of trial have proved the superior merits 
of what may be called the " old-fashioned flow- 
ers," and it will be wise for her to select from 
them, for the most part, the garden she is 
planning for the coming summer. These flow- 
ers will never disappoint; they do not ask for 
constant care ; they give rich returns for all the 
attention ex]3ended on them ; and — anyone can 
grow them. 

I am so often asked to give a list of a dozen 
kinds of annuals which I consider best adapted 
to culture in the ordinary garden that it may 
not be amiss to give it here. It is : Aster, Pe- 

5 65 



SPRING IN 



tunia, Phlox Drummondii, Calliopsis, Nastur- 
tium, Sweet Pea, Morning-glory, Verbena, 
Scabiosa, Balsam, Ten-week Stock, and Mari- 
gold. For the benefit of those who may like 
more variety, or have a large garden to fill, I 
will add a supplementary list of another dozen 
of very desirable kinds: Candytuft, Sweet 
Alyssum, Salpiglossis, Celosia, Portulaca, 
Snapdragon, Eschscholtzia, Zinnia, Dian- 
thus, Nicotiana, Salvia, and Centaurea. These 
two dozens do not exhaust the list of really 
good plants by any means, but they include the 
best of the kinds which the average amateur 
will find it advisable to undertake the cultiva- 
tion of. 

Right here let me offer this advice : Do not 
let the enthusiasm of the spring season get the 
control of your good judgment and tempt you 
into undertaking more than you feel sure of 
your ability to carry out satisfactorily. Bear 
in mind the fact that a good garden represents 
a considerable amount of hard work, also that 
a neglected garden is one of the sorriest sights 
imaginable, and do not make the mistake of be- 
ginning what you will not be likely to com- 
plete. A few flowers, well grown, ^vill afford 
a hundred-fold more satisfaction than a large 

66 



THE GARDEN 



number of inferior ones. It is much better to 
concentrate your attention than to scatter it 
over so wide a field that justice cannot be done 
to the occupants of it. 

I am well aware that the impression prevails 
among many amateur gardeners that by sow- 
ing seed early in the season, in the house, it is 
possible to secure a much earlier crop of flowers 
than can be obtained from plants grown wholly 
in the garden. The theory of this belief is 
good, but the test of it will convince anyone 
that there is a wide difference between the 
theory and the successful practice of it. 
Ninety-nine times out of a hundred plants 
grown from early -sown seed will die before the 
time comes when it is safe to put them out-of- 
doors, and the one possible exception will be so 
lacking in vitality that plants from seed sown 
in the garden after the weather becomes warm 
will get ahead of it, if it happen to survive the 
ordeal of the change from the house to the 
ground, which it seldom will. In our over- 
heated living-rooms, with their fluctuating 
temperatures, it is almost an impossibility to 
grow good plants of any kind, and especially 
seedlings. They are too delicate to withstand 
the difficulties to which they are subjected. 

67 



SPRING IN 



The professional florist succeeds with his seed- 
hngs because he has all conditions necessary 
to success under control. This is not possible 
in the living-room, hence our failure in our at- 
tempts to grow plants from seed there. This 
being the case, our eiForts to " get the start of the 
season" with early-sown plants are quite cer- 
tain to prove abortive, and I would not encour- 
age the amateur to undertake this phase of gar- 
dening. If seed is sown in the garden when 
the soil is warm, and the weather has become 
settled, we will get flowers quite as early as we 
need them. The spring-flowering plants and 
shrubs will hardly have completed their blos- 
soming-season before the earliest of the annuals 
will begin to bloom. Therefore we can well 
afford to wait for the annuals. 

<3i <^ <3J 

THE first thing to be done in garden-work 
is the spading of the beds. Do this about 
the first of May at the North. Throw up the 
soil in clods, and let it lie as it falls from the 
spade for three or four days, exposed to the 
action of the air and sun and possible showers. 
By the end of that time a good deal of moisture 
will have drained and evaporated from it, and 

«8 



THE GARDEN 



it will be in a condition to pulverize easily. 
Work it over until it becomes fine and mellow. 
This is important, for the delicate roots of seed- 
ling plants will find it difficult to make their 
way in a coarse, hard soil. Also, fertilize it well. 
This, is another item of great importance, for 
in order to secure a vigorous development we 
must feed our plants well. Those living in the 
country, where barnyard manure is easily pro- 
curable, will doubtless depend on this as a fer- 
tilizer, — and, indeed, there is nothing superior 
to it in nutritive value, — but there is one serious 
objection to its use, and that is the certainty 
with which weeds are introduced into the gar- 
den by it. There will be all the weed-pulling 
one cares to do under the most favorable cir- 
cumstances, and barnyard manure will add 
vastly to the crop. I have for some years past 
depended on commercial fertilizers in the flower- 
garden, and I am well satisfied with the result. 
By their use I get fine plants and no weeds. I 
do not mean that the person who uses these fer- 
tilizers will not have weeds to fight, but there 
will be only those which come from seed in the 
soil. The gardener who lives in city or village 
will find these fertilizers on sale at very reason- 
able rates at all j)laces where agricultural 

69 



SPRING IN 



articles are sold. They can be varied to suit 
the peculiarities of the soil in different locali- 
ties. The dealer of whom you purchase will be 
able to tell you what kind will be likely to prove 
most effective with you if you give him an idea 
of the kind of soil you intend to use it on. He 
will also be able to advise the proportion in 
which it should be used. These matters I can- 
not give definite advice about, because soils 
vary to such an extent in kind and quality that 
what would apply in one place might not be 
the proper kind to use a few miles away. 

Seed-sowing is a delicate operation and must 
be done carefully, or there will be sorry fail- 
ures. The seed of many kinds of plants is so 
fine that it will fail to germinate if covered 
deeply, — in fact, it does not require any cover- 
ing. In sowing Petunias, Portulacas, and 
others of that class I would scatter the seed 
on the soil, — which should, of course, be as mel- 
low as possible before entrusting seed to it, — 
and then go over the bed with a smooth board 
and press the soil down firmly. This forces 
the seed into the earth, and makes the soil so 
compact that it will retain all the moisture 
necessary to bring about germination. Larger 
seed can be covered lightly by sifting fine soil 

70 



THE GAHDEN 



over it, after which the pressing-board should 
be used. If you want the seed you use to 
grow, never bury it at the bottom of a furrow, 
after the manner of the market -gardener. The 
seed of his plants is quite unlike that which you 
make use of in the flower-garden, and can 
stand a treatment which the other cannot. 

I have made a practice of late years of sow- 
ing flower-seed in small beds, rather than in the 
large beds where my plants are to grow in sum- 
mer. I find that this saves a good deal of 
work, because it can be concentrated on the bit 
of ground given up to the production of seed- 
lings. Here I grow them until they are large 
enough to transplant. 

Transplanting should be done, if possible, 
on a cloudy or showery day. This is work that 
must be done carefully, for young plants are 
tender things, and a little rough handling 
means death to them. I use a stick a little 
larger than a pencil to make a place in which to 
set the young plants. This I insert in the bed 
to the depth of an inch or an inch and a half, 
according to the length of the root of the plant 
I am working with. Having made a number 
of holes, I lift my seedlings from the bed in 
which I have started them, being careful to 

71 



SPRING IN 



disturb their roots as little as possible, and, 
taking one lightly between the thumb and fin- 
ger of the left hand, I drop its roots into the 
hole made for it, but do not let go of it. With 
the right hand I press the soil firmly, but 
gently, about the suspended roots. When a 
row is filled wdth plants I water them, using 
for this purpose a pot having a spout that does 
not throw a large stream, for not a great deal of 
water is needed by each plant. If a large 
stream is turned upon them, there is danger of 
washing them out or loosening them. Just 
enough water should be used to saturate the 
soil about the i)lant and settle it about its roots. 
Then I arrange some sort of shade for them. 
It is never safe to trust to cloudy weather in 
transplanting. The sun may assert itself sud- 
denly, and in a few minutes the newly-set 
plants will be wilted. Always provide some 
means of averting this danger. I make a sort 
of cone of thick paper, run a sharpened stick 
out and in through one side of it to support it, 
and insert the other end of the stick in the 
ground alongside the plant I desire to shade. 
This keeps the sun away as effectively as a 
little umbrella would, and as it does not touch 
the ground, the air has a chance to circulate 

72 



THE GARDEN 



freely about the i^lant. Such a protection I 
find vastly preferable to shingles or pieces of 
board set between the plants and the sun, as the 
sun will shift, while this protection will not, 
and your plants may be exposed and as much 
injury be done thereby as would have resulted 
from the entire absence of protection. Keep 
your plants shaded, and shaded completely, 
until they begin to grow. 



WEEDING should begin as soon as there 
are weeds to pull. Do not let them get 
the start of you. If you do, you will find 
it a difficult matter to get the start of them. 
They are aggressive, and they mean always 
to take possession of the garden if it is pos- 
sible for them to do so. But give them to 
understand that you will not allow this by 
waging war on them early in the season 
and showing them no quarter. Those grow- 
ing close to your flowering j)lants will have 
to be pulled up carefully to avoid loosen- 
ing the roots of the others, but those between 
the rows can be kept down by the hoe, which 
should be used daily. If there are not many 
weeds for it to cut down, the loosening which 

73 



SPRING IN 



the use of it will give the soil will be of great 
benefit to your plants, especially if the season 
happen to be a dry one. I find that many per- 
sons fear to stir the soil of the flower-garden 
in a dry j^eriod, thinking that they will add to 
the harmful efl'ects of the drought by so doing. 
In this they are mistaken. If the surface of 
the soil is allowed to cinist over, as it will in a 
" dry spell," it can absorb no moisture from 
dews and slight showers. But if we keep the 
soil loose and open by frequent stirring, it acts 
like a sponge and absorbs whatever moisture 
there may be in the atmosphere. Therefore 
do not be afraid to use the hoe freely in dry 
weather. 

If watering is necessary, do it after sun- 
down, when evaporation takes place more 
slowly than during the day. And do not 
apply it through a sprinkling-nozzle. This 
scatters it all over the soil and does superficial 
work, because not enough water falls about the 
roots of the plants, where it is most needed. 
Use a pot having a long spout, which will make 
it an easy matter for you to put the water 
where it belongs. If you begin to water your 
plants, you must keep on doing it as long as the 
dry period lasts. 

74 



THE GARDEN 



THE arrangement of plants in the garden 
is a matter which ought to be carefully 
considered before beds are made for them. It 
is easy to spoil the effect we have in mind, when 
we think of the garden in its prime, by so 
locating our plants that they interfere with one 
another both in regard to size and color. We 
may put large plants in the foreground, where 
they will hide others of lower growth, and we 
may so arrange colors that they give a most 
discordant effect. These mistakes, however, 
can easily be avoided if we are willing to study 
the catalogues of the florists before we locate 
our plants in the garden. Know the height of 
each plant you use, and so place it that it will 
show to the best possible advantage. In this 
way you can secure a graduated effect — the 
tall-growing kinds forming a background for 
the lower growers, and the dwarf kinds occu- 
pying a place at the front where their charms 
will not be hidden. We give too little thought 
to arranging our plants effectively, and the re- 
sult is very unsatisfactory. Give this i)art of 
garden-work a good deal of careful study, and 
you will be surprised at the improvement re- 
sulting from it. 

The haphazard use of colors ought always to 

75 



SPRING IN 



be guarded against. I have seen gardens 
spoiled by unfortunate color combinations. 
It is just as easy to prevent this as it is to 
avoid the mistake of putting plants of diiFerent 
sizes where thej^ do not belong. Study up on 
the color question, and so arrange your colors 
that there will be harmony instead of discord. 
In order to do this most effectively, I would 
advise you to make a diagram of your garden 
before you begin work in it, and mark down in 
each bed the name and color of the plant it is 
to be filled with. This will greatly simplify 
matters, you will find, when the hurry of gar- 
den work is here, and it will do away with the 
mistakes you will quite likely make if you go 
to work without some definite plan to work to. 
I am not a great admirer of "carpet- 
bedding," but I am fond of arranging my 
plants so that color contrast is secured. It is an 
easy matter to make a most attractive circular 
bed by planting white, rose, and pale-yellow 
Phlox in rows. These colors harmonize charm- 
ingly, and the contrast between them heightens 
the beauty of each. The pleasing effect of such 
a bed is increased if we use as a border the 
Madame Salleroi Geranium, with its j^ale- 
green and creamy-white foliage. This har- 

76 



THE GARDEN 



monizes j^erfectly with the Phlox, and is ex- 
tremely attractive in itself. I consider it our 
very best plant for edging. It forms a 
rounded, compact mass of foliage, requires 
absolutely no training, and is attractive 
throughout the season. Those having old 
plants of it which they ha\'e carried through the 
winter can break them apart and plant each 
piece in the beds where they are to grow in 
^Ia3% setting them about eight inches apart. 
Not one in twenty will fail to grow. By the 
end of June they will have grown to such a size 
that they meet in the row, and from that time 
to the coming of frost they will be quite as 
attractive as the flowering plants they are used 
with. 

If a brilliant bed is desired, use scarlet Sal- 
via in the centre, with Calliopsis surrounding 
it. Do not depend on one row of the latter, 
but use plants enough to make a broad mass. 
White Candytuft or Sweet Alyssum would 
make an effective edging for such a bed. 

Eschscholtzia, massed, makes a most gor- 
geous showing. It is one of our best j'^ellow 
flowers, and will be found very effective in 
combination with the scarlet or crimson of Sal- 
via or Phlox. 

77 



SPRING IN 



I would never advise the use of seed in 
which the various colors are mixed. With it 
you are likely to get some most inharmonious 
results. A bed of Phlox from "mixed" seed 
will probably give you pink, scarlet, lilac, and 
mauve colors, and the effect of these in combin- 
ation will be positively painful to the sensitive 
eye. Such discords cannot be avoided unless 
you use seed in which each color is by itself. 
The expense may be a little more, but the re- 
sult will be so satisfactory that you will think 
the extra money well invested. 

<o *<^ "^ 

WE have some plants which we neglect too 
much. One of these is the Amaranthus. 
It is not particularly pretty on close inspection, 
but when seen from a little distance it is ex- 
tremely attractive when grown in masses. A 
circular bed of it in full bloom, its rich, dull 
red surrounded by the orange-yellow of the 
Calliopsis, will be sure to attract attention and 
challenge admiration. Its foliage is quite as 
attractive as its flowers, being of the same rich 
color. For rich its color is, though it may 
seem dull when compared with other reds. 
A most pleasing "tropical" effect can be 

78 



THE GARDEN 



secured by using Ricinus in groups, either by 
itself or in combination with such plants as 
Cannas or Caladiums. It grows to a height of 
eight to ten feet, with immense palmate foliage 
of bronze-green overlaid with coppery lustre. 
For back rows it is unsurpassed. It is easily 
grown from seed. 

No garden can afford to be without Dahlias. 
They are magnificent as to color, profuse as to 
bloom, and especially valuable because of their 
habit of late flowering. To grow them well, 
give them a very rich soil and plenty of water. 
It is not necessary, as many suppose, to start 
them early. The secret of success with them 
consists in giving them a good start at plant- 
ing-time and keeping them going steadily 
ahead. Last season I planted my Dahlias the 
last of May, and had flowers from them in 
July. But I made the soil in which I planted 
them so rich that they could not stop growing 
had they been inclined to. It will be necessaiy 
to provide stout stakes for the support of these 
plants, as their stalks are brittle and easily 
broken. 

The Gladiolus is another flower which ought 
to be in every garden. It is of the easiest pos- 
sible culture. Give it a rich and mellow soil, 

79 



SPRING IN 



plant it four or five inches below the surface, 
about the tenth of May, and keep weeds from 
crowding it, and it will ask for no more atten- 
tion from you. Its range of colors is wonder- 
ful. A bed of it will make your garden mag- 
nificent. It combines the rich coloring of the 
Orchid with the delicacy in tone and texture of 
the Lily. Unlike many brilliantly colored 
flowers, it is never coarse. It is most effective 
when planted in groups of from twelve to 
twenty. The long, slender flower-stalks vdll 
need some support to prevent their being 
broken down by sudden winds. I would not 
advise staking and tying them, as that always 
results in a stiff, formal effect far from 
pleasing. I make use of a large barrel-hoop, 
across which I stretch coarse twine, such as 
is used for tying up wool or on harvest- 
ing machines, in such a manner as to se- 
cure a large number of meshes. I use this 
twine because it presents a larger surface 
to the stalks than small twine, thus doing 
away with the danger of cutting into the 
tender growi:h. I support the hoop on 
three stakes, having it about eighteen inches 
from the ground. It will be necessary to assist 
the stalks in finding their way through the 

80 




GLADIOLUS 



THE GARDEN 



meshes. If painted a dark green, this support 
will not be unpleasantly obtrusive. 

And every garden ought to include a bed 
of Tea Roses. Say what they may about the 
beauty of other flowers, there is not one of 
them that rivals the Rose, and no other plant 
that we can grow will afford us the satisfaction 
that this will. Small plants of the ever- 
blooming varieties — this includes the Teas, the 
Bengal, and the Noisette sections — will come 
into bloom by midsummer and continue to give 
us flowers until cold weather if given proper 
treatment. This consists in planting them in 
a very rich soil — for the Rose is fond of hearty 
food and a good deal of it — and a system of 
cutting-back after each crop of flowers that 
new branches may be sent out, on which flowers 
will be borne. This is important, because the 
flowers are only j^roduced on the new growth, 
and any method of culture which fails to pro- 
vide such growth will prove unsatisfactory. 
By making and keeping the soil rich we encour- 
age the plants to constant effort in the way 
of growtli, and our reward comes in the shape 
of large, richly colored, and delightfully fra- 
grant flo^vers. any one of which is worth a 
score of ordinary Wossoms. Young plants 

6 81 



SPRING IN 



cost but little. By all means invest in a dozen 
or two of these Roses. 

Nothing was said about Pansies in the lists 
given because, being perennials, they do not 
belong there. But most persons consider 
them as annuals and treat them accordingly, 
and by so doing they fail to secure from them 
the pleasure which these most beautiful flowers 
can give when properly grown. If we sow seed 
of them in spring, our plants will just begin 
to show bloom by the time the hot, dry weather 
of midsummer is upon us, and that will put an 
end to the display. We will have to wait until 
cooler weather comes for flowers. The only 
way to obtain early flowers from the Pansy 
is bj^ depending on old plants brought over the 
winter in the garden, or young plants procured 
from the florist, who grows them during the 
winter for spring use. This last is the most 
satisfactory method, as young plants are 
strong and vigorous, and ready to begin flow- 
ering when procured. Of course, we all want 
Pansies, and a good many of them. 

The Sweet Pea is a peculiar plant in some 
respects, and requires treatment quite unlike 
that given other plants if we would have it do 
its best. It must be planted very early — as 

82 



THE GARDEN 



soon, in fact, as the ground can be dug up to 
receive the seed. This because it is a plant that 
does better in cool weather than in heat, and 
the conditions which prevail in spring are pre- 
cisely those best suited to it in getting a start. 
If it form strong roots before the hot weather 
is upon us, and these roots are deep in the soil, 
where they will remain moist and cool, we may 
expect fine flowers, and a great many of them, 
but if we give it a shallow planting, which 
brings its roots near the surface, and a late one, 
which obliges it to get its start in weather not 
to its liking, we need not wonder if it disap- 
point us. The plan I follow with it is this : In 
April I dig V-shaped trenches about six inches 
deep. I sow the seed in the bottom of these 
about an inch apart. I cover it with about 
an inch of soil, which I press down firmly. 
When the plants have grown to a height of 
three inches I fill in about them with some of 
the soil thrown out from the trench. I con- 
tinue to do this at intervals as the vines reach 
up until the trench is filled. In this way I 
succeed in getting the roots of the plants deep 
in cool, moist soil. The best trellis for them 
is one made by fastening coarse-meshed wire 
netting to posts. It should be at least six feet 

83 



SPRING IN 



wide, as the Sweet Pea makes a rampant 
growth under faAorable circumstances. In 
order to assure a bountiful cro]) of flowers 
throughout the season it is absolutely necessary 
to prevent the formation of seed. Go over the 
vines daily and remove every flower past its 
prime. If this advice is followed, we can have 
fine flowers, and plenty of them, from June to 
November. 

If the season should happen to be a dry one, 
grass-clippings from the lawn can be used to 
advantage about many plants as a mulch. Tea 
Roses will be benefited greatly by covering the 
soil about them with three or four inches of it, 
as it will prevent too-rapid evaporation of 
moisture from the soil and assist materially in 
keeping the heat of the intensely hot sunshine 
of midsummer noonday from injuring the 
roots near the surface. 

What has been said about tlic prevention 
of the development of seed on the Sweet Pea 
applies M'ith equal pertinence to most annuals. 
Let seed form, and you will get but few flow- 
ers from them after that. All the energies of 
the plant will be devoted to the eff'ort of per- 
petuating itself. But interfere with the pro- 
duction and development of seed, and the plant 

84 



THE GARDEN 



will at once make another attempt to do what 
Nature urges it to, and the first step in this 
process is the j)roduction of flowers. By thus 
continuously interfering Avith the natural oper- 
ations of the plant we keep it flowering 
throughout the season in its vain attempt to 
overcome our opposition. 




THE GARDEN IN 
SUMMER 





Strong summer, dumb with rapture, bound 
With golden calm the woodlands round. 

Swinburne: The Tale of Balen. 




O rose ! the sweetest blossom, 
Of spring the fairest flower, 
O rose ! the joy of heaven. 
The god of love, with roses 
His yellow locks adorning. 
Dances with the hours and graces. 

J. G. Percival: Anacreontic. 

the foxglove bloom 
That rings a chime it never tells. 
Round which the bees in concert boom 
And rumble in its bells. 

NoKMAN Gale: A Maid's Holida/. 



THE GARD EN IN 
SUMMER 




HE coming of summer brings 
some relief to the gardener 
who has been busy with mak- 
ing beds, sowing seeds, and 
pulKng weeds tlirough the 
earher part of the season. 
But there will still be much 
to be done in the garden. Indeed, there will 
always be work there for the gardener who is 
thoroughly in love with flowers and their culti- 
vation. But one of the delightful things 
about gardening is that it pays the gardener 
as he goes along, and the satisfaction afforded 
by doing something to make it easier for the 
plants to do their work well makes even hard 
work pleasant to the person who grows flowers 
because he loves them. Such a person will 
always be on the lookout for something to do 
in the garden, and he will not fail to find it. 

Have you given the Dahlias proper sup- 
port? If not, see to it at once that they are 
well staked and tied up, for their stalks are 



THE GARDEN 



extremely brittle, and a sudden strong wind — 
a heavy shower, even — may break them down. 
Set a stout stake by each plant and tie the main 
stalk to it firmly. Use strips of soft cloth for 
this purpose in preference to strings. I have 
frequently had Dahlia-stalks half cut off in 
windy seasons by the strings with which I fast- 
ened them to their stakes. It is a good plan 
to paint the stakes a dull green, that they may 
not show among the foliage. 

If the season happens to be a dry one, be 
sure to water your Dahlias well. A pailful of 
water, daily, is not too much for each plant. 
Pour it about the main stalk to make sure of 
its getting just where it will do the most good. 
If simply poured over the soil about the plant, 
a good deal of it will be wasted. If the soil is 
not rich, apply some reliable fertilizer at mid- 
summer. The Dahlia is a gross feeder, and 
must be liberally supplied with nutriment if 
you want it to do itself justice. 

The Gladiolus is another plant that must be 
given support. Its flower-stalks are tall and 
slender, and very top-heavy when in bloom. 
They are easily beaten down by wind and rain- 
storms, and, if once prostrated, they seldom 
straighten up again. This misfortune can 

90 



IN SUMMER 



only be avoided by furnishing each plant with 
a support. Neat little wooden stakes, painted 
green, can be bought very cheaply at the flor- 
ist's. If these stakes are housed in winter, 
they will last several seasons. One stake in 
the centre of a group of Gladiolus stalks will 
be sufficient to support all of them if they are 
tied lightly to it. Danger consists in the 
stalk's breaking at its junction with the root, 
and whatever prevents it from falling in such 
a manner as to cause disruption there is amply 
sufficient in the way of support, as the stalk 
itself is tough and elastic, and is seldom broken 
by severe winds. 

Tea Roses like to have their roots damp and 
cool. It is an excellent plan to keep them well 
mulched with grass-clippings from the lawn. 
When the clippings begin to decay, dig them 
into the soil and apply more. Let them be 
two or three inches in depth, and so spread out 
that the ground is entirely covered by them. 
The soil in which these Roses are planted ought 
to be very rich. Old, decomposed cow-manure 
is the ideal fertilizer for this plant. After all 
the buds on a branch have developed into flow- 
ers, cut it back sharply. Leave but one or two 
" eyes " on it. These, if the soil is sufficiently 

91 



THE GARDEN 



rich, will soon develop into branches, on which 
from three to half a dozen flowers will be borne. 
By keeping up the cutting-back process 
throughout the season it is an easy matter to 
make the plant renew itself repeatedly — pro- 
vided the soil is well supplied with nutriment. 
This is the secret of the successful culture of 
this class of roses. By proper management, 
they can be kept in bloom from June to 
November. 

Sweet Peas are inclined to bloom profusely 
in early summer, but thereafter there will be a 
falling-oiF in the quantity of their flowers 
unless they are prevented from developing 
seed. In order to keep them blooming 
throughout the season, go over the vines daily 
and cut away every seed-vessel that has begun 
to form. The plants, thwarted in their efl'orts 
to perpetuate themselves by the production of 
seed, will at once set about the work of repro- 
duction, and as the first stage in this process is 
the production of flowers, it naturally follows 
that by preventing them from following out 
the instinct we can keep them blooming 
throughout the greater part of the season. 
This applies to nearly all garden flowers. 

I would not allow Pansies to bloom in mid- 
92 



IN SUMMER 



summer. They are seldom satisfactory at this 
season, because the hot weather exhausts them. 
Cut away all the old branches, leaving nothing 
of the plant but the crown. It will remain 
practically dormant until cool, fall weather sets 
in. Then dig about it and apply fertilizer, and 
in a short time it will send out branches on 
which flowers as large and fine as those of 
spring will be produced until the coming of 
cold weather. 

Chrysanthemums which have been put into 
the ground to grow throughout the summer 
will need considerable attention. They should 
be staked and securely tied to prevent their 
being broken down as soon as they have formed 
heavy tops. They should be pinched back 
from time to time to secure a bushy, compact 
growth of branches. They should be fertilized 
well in order to secure vigorous development. 
They must be watered well if the season is a 
dry one, for it is impossible to properly develoj) 
this plant in soil that is not kept moist. Allow 
it to get really dry at its roots and your plant 
receives a check from which it is not likely to 
recover during the entire season. Insects 
must be watched for. Tlie black beetle is this 
plant's ^\'orst enemy. ^Vs soon as one is seen, 

93 



THE GARDEN 



prepare an infusion of the Ivory soap of house- 
hold use by melting half a ten-cent cake of it 
and adding it to a ten-quart pail of water. 
Spray the plants thoroughly with this decoc- 
tion, being sure that it gets to the underside 
of all the foliage. 

Asters are frequently attacked by a black 
aphis which does most destructive work in an 
incredibly short time. You must be con- 
stantly on the lookout for the pest. As soon 
as one is seen spray the plant with clear water, 
and then powder it thickly with tobacco-dust. 
If this insecticide is applied promptly and lib- 
erally, one application is generally sufficient. 
But there must be no delay — ^no half-way work 
about it. Let the insect alone and he will 
speedily put an end to your plants. 



IF there is transplanting to be done, attend to 
it, if possible, on lowery or rainy days. Be- 
fore lifting your plants, water them well. 
This will harden the soil about their roots and 
enable you to remove them without much dis- 
turbance of the plant. Always shade them for 
a few days after transplanting. I do this by 
making a cone of thick paper about a foot 

94 



IN SUMMER 



across at its widest part. I i*un a stout wire 
out and in through the lap in the paper. This 
holds the cone in shape. The lower end of the 
wire is inserted in the earth, on the sunward 
side of the plant. The covering thus formed 
and supported affords all the shade that is 
needed without interfering with a free circula- 
tion of air. At night the cones are removed, 
that the plant may get the benefit of the dew. 
If the season is dry and the weather hot, 
artificial watering must be resorted to in order 
to secure a proper development of nearly all 
the flowers grown in the average garden. But 
do not begin it unless you can, or will, continue 
it as long as it is needed. Better let your 
plants take the chances of pulling through the 
dry spell unaided than to begin to give assist- 
ance of this kind and then discontinue it. In 
applying water, do it after sundown, as evap- 
oration will take place slowly then and j^our 
plants will get the fullest amount of benefit 
from it. Use a watering-pot with a long 
spout, without a spray-nozzle. This will en- 
able you to get the water just where it is needed 
most — at the roots at the centre of the plant. 
If you use a spray-nozzle, the water will be so 
sprinkled over a large surface of ground that 

95 



THE GARDEN 



it does veiy little good. There must be enough 
to penetrate the soil to a depth sufficient to 
reach the feeding roots. 

Most young gardeners labor under the im- 
pression that stirring the soil in a time of 
drouth is not the proper thing to do. But it 
is the very thing that needs doing. Leave the 
soil unstirred, and it soon crusts over in such a 
manner that moisture from dews and ordinary 
rains cannot penetrate it. But stir it enough 
to make its surface light, and keep it in that 
condition, and it takes on a porosity which 
enables it to absorb whatever moisture there is, 
jirecisely as a sponge does. 

While most of the work of pulling weeds 
ends with June, it will be necessary to continue 
the warfare against them, to a greater or less 
extent, throughout the season. Weeds are 
aggressive and determined, and they never 
give up their efforts to secure a foothold in the 
garden. You may congratulate yourself to- 
day that the last of them has been uprooted, 
but to-morrow you will discover others grow- 
ing in nooks and corners where they had hoped 
to escape detection. Allow a few of them to 
grow undisturbed for a week or a fortnight, 
and they will develop seed enough to fill your 

96 



IN SUMMER 



whole garden. Make it a rale to look for 
weeds everj^ time you inspect it, and as soon as 
you have found one to pull it up. Bear in 
mind that every weed prevented from ripening 
seed saves a good deal of work next season. 



EVERY amateur gardener ought to invest 
something in tools which will facilitate 
and make as easy as possible the work in hand. 
One of these is a double-bladed hoe. One end 
of the blade is wide, like the ordinary hoe, ex- 
cept that it is cut into teeth like those of a 
large saw. The other end is pointed, the 
socket for the handle being in the middle of the 
blade. With the wide-toothed end weeds can 
be cut down rapidly and easily in spaces where 
there is plenty of room to give it full swing. 
When you are at work close to plants, reverse 
it and use the pointed end. You will be sur- 
prised to find how close you can work without 
injuring the seedlings in the row. In fact, 
with a little practice, you can pick weeds away 
from flowering plants, with this sharp point, 
almost as effectively as with the fingers. Give 
one of these hoes a trial, and you will not care 
to use any other kind. 

7 97 



THE GARDEN 



Another useful little tool is a weeding-hook, 
or claw. It has fine, curved fingers which take 
hold of weeds and uproot them as you draw it 
through the soil. These fingers also stir the 
soil to the depth of an inch or more if you 
apply a little extra force to the tool, thus 
answering the double purpose of weeding and 
]3ulverizing at one operation. With such a 
weeder you can accomplish more in an hour 
than you can in half a day when you pull weeds 
by hand. 

A sprayer is needed in every garden. Not 
the small hand-sprayer made of tin, but a small 
force-pump to which a hose is attached, having 
a nozzle which enables you to graduate the 
stream of water to any desired degree of fine- 
ness. This pump is portable, is made of brass, 
and will last for a lifetime if properly cared 
for. Water can be thrown twenty or thirty 
feet with it in a solid stream. A turn of the 
nozzle-regulator will instantly change the 
stream to a fine spray. The value of this 
pump is most fully realized when insecticides 
are used, but its usefulness is by no means con- 
fined to gardening operations. Use it on the 
house-plants on the veranda daily and they will 
never be troubled by red spider or disfigured 

98 



IN SUMMER 



by the dust which fills the atmosphere in hot, 
dry weather, and settles over everything out- 
of-doors. 

Every garden should have its wheelbarrow, 
and a spade whose blade should be kept sharp 
and clean. After using it, be particular to re- 
move all soil that adheres to it, and once a week 
go over it with a coat of oil. This will prevent 
rust and have a tendency to keep it in good 
working condition. When it is not in use, put 
it under cover. There should be a place for all 
garden utensils where they can be stored and 
properly sheltered. If you make it a rule to 
put them there, when you have finished using 
them, you will know where to find them when 
they are needed, thus saving yourself much 
annoyance, as well as loss of time, for a tool 
left where you used it last is seldom to be found 
when wanted. 



I.AM often asked about the summer care of 
bulbs. Should they be left in the ground or 
should they be taken up and replanted later in 
the season ? I do not disturb mj^ bulbs as long 
as they bloom well. If they fail to do this, I 
lift them as soon as they have ripened their 

99 



tOFC 



THE GARDEN 



foliage and store them away in a cool, dark 
place until September, wrapped in paper, and 
packed in boxes of buckwheat bran or dry saw- 
dust. Wrapping in paper is necessary to pre- 
vent evaporation. When I take them up, I 
throw away all weak or diseased ones. The 
beds in which they are to be planted in fall 
should be prepared by spading up the soil to 
the depth of a foot and a half, manuring it 
well, and working it over until very fine and 
mellow. Get the bulbs into the ground by the 
middle of September, in order to give them 
an opportunity to fully establish themselves 
before cold weather comes. If I do not con- 
sider it necessary to transplant, I manure the 
bed well and grow annuals in it. These will 
not interfere with the bulbs below. 



A GREAT many persons make a practice 
of turning their house-plants out of their 
pots at the beginning of summer and planting 
them in the beds. They do this, they tell me, 
for two reasons : it gives the plants a chance to 
make strong, healthy growth, and it does away 
with the care they must receive if kept in pots. 
That plants in the garden-beds grow more 

100 



IN SUMMER 



vigorously than in pots I admit, but when 
fall comes and they have to be lifted and re- 
potted their roots have to be cut away to such 
an extent that the plants receive a check from 
which they will be months in recovering. Any 
disturbance of a plant's roots injures it seri- 
ously, and the removal of it from ground to pot 
at the approach of cold weather interferes with 
it at a most critical period. A little thought 
will convince anyone that all the growth of the 
season must be sacrificed in getting the plant 
ready for the house, so nothing has been gained 
by planting it out. Really, much has been 
lost, for it comes to its winter's work in a weak- 
ened condition which makes it impossible for 
it to hold its own with plants kept in pots 
throughout the entire season. The roots of 
such plants do not have to be disturbed in fall, 
consequently they receive no such check as 
must, of necessity, come to the plant that is 
taken from the ground and crowded into a pot 
not large enough to accommodate a quarter of 
the roots it has made during the summer. It 
is true that plants grown in this way take care 
of themselves through the summer, but I take 
it that the person who really loves flowers will 
be willing to give them all the care they need if 

101 



THE GARDEN 



kept in pots when they reahze that it is to their 
advantage to so keep them. A plant in a pot 
is always under control. You can encourage 
it to grow, if growth is desirable, or you can 
keep it practically dormant until the time 
comes when you desire it to develop. 

Nor do I believe in sinking them in the 
ground in their pots, as many do, arguing that 
in this way they avoid the dangers which attend 
the potting of plants from the open ground. 
A plant in a pot, sunk in the ground, is almost 
sure to suffer, and seriously, because its owner 
labors under the belief that it gets all the mois- 
ture it needs. She infers this because the 
ground outside the pot seems moist. But the 
fact is, the pot, while porous to a certain extent, 
is not sufficiently so to admit moisture from the 
soil about it freely enough to meet the require- 
ments of the roots enclosed by it, and because 
of this the plant suffers, nine times out of ten, 
and completes the summer season in a condition 
that is anything but favorable to good work 
later on. This can be prevented by aj^plying 
water regularly, but in no other way. And the 
regular use of water on sunken plants is quite 
sure to be neglected, therefore the probabilities 
are that the plants we attempt to summer on 

102 



IN SUMMER 



this plan will be inferior in every respect in fall 
to those kept in pots on the veranda. 



BEDS of plants of ornamental foliage, like 
the Coleus, Alternanthera, Achyranthes, 
Pyrethrum, and Centaurea, will require con- 
stant and careful attention if you would have 
them afford entire satisfaction. If planted in 
rows or patterns, they must be clipped two or 
three times a week to prevent the several colors 
used from reaching out beyond the limits as- 
signed them and blending with other colors, 
thus destroying that distinctness of outline 
upon which much of the beauty of a bed of 
foliage plants depends. This clipping can be 
done easily, however, by running the pruning- 
shears along the row, or about the edges of the 
pattern, cutting away whatever branches have 
straggled across the line. Dying leaves must 
be removed promptly, for neatness is all- 
important in this phase of gardening. 

JMarguerite Carnations are worthless as 
summer bloomers. They seldom perfect a 
flower before the last of September. But they 
are among the best of our late-flowering plants, 
and no garden ought to be without them. 

103 



THE GARDEN 



While their blossoms are not quite as large as 
those of the greenhouse varieties, they are 
quite as fragrant, and a large percentage of 
them are as double and as fine of form. In 
order to secure compact plants with many 
blossom stalks, nip out the first shoots that 
show a tendency to reach up and force the 
plant to " stool out," after the fashion of lawn 
grass. Such a plant by the latter part of Sep- 
tember will be a mass of foliage out of which 
many flower-stalks will thrust themselves dur- 
ing the cool weather of autumn, each one bear- 
ing several buds. Generally, this Carnation 
will be in its prime at the coming of cold 
weather. I have lifted large plants of it every 
fall for several seasons past and potted them, 
and they have flowered in the greenhouse 
throughout the entire winter. In lifting these 
plants care should be taken to disturb their 
roots as little as possible. My plan is to water 
them so thoroughly the day before potting 
them that the soil will have no tendency to 
crumble. I cut down about them, on three 
sides, with a sharp spade, having the block of 
earth enclosed by these cuts about the size of 
the pot it is to go into. Then I insert the 
spade on the fourth side quite deeply and bear 

104 



IN SUMMER 



down on its handle slowly and carefully. 
This lifts the mass of earth containing the 
plant in such a manner that it seldom breaks 
apart, consequently the roots are not disturbed 
in the least. Trim off the edges of the block 
to fit your pot, drop the plant into it, crowd 
it down firmly, and the work is done. Set the 
plants in a shaded place for a few days before 
removing them to the house. Shower them 
daily, but do not apply water to their roots 
until the surface of the soil looks dry. When 
you take them indoors, put them in a cool room 
if possible. If they are kept in very warm 
rooms, their growth is slender and weak. 
They will not be injured by weather that has 
a frosty edge to it. Frequent showering will 
keep down red spider, and the application of 
Ivory-soap infusion will destroy aphides if 
they attack the plants, as they are likely to, 
indoors. 



NOW is the time to start many plants for 
winter use. Get them well under way 
before cool weather comes if you want them to 
give satisfaction in winter. Geraniums, Abu- 
tilons, Begonias, Heliotropes, Salvias, and 

105 



THE GARDEN 



other plants of similar nature are easily grown 
from cuttings. The surest way to root them is 
to insert them in shallow boxes of clear, coarse 
sand, which should be kept warm and moist. 
In a week or ten days most of these cuttings 
will throw out roots. When new leaves 
appear, you will know that roots have been 
formed. Let a second set of leaves appear 
before you remove them from the sand-box. 
Then pot them off into moderately rich soil, 
using small pots at first and shifting to larger- 
sized ones when the old ones are filled with 
roots. 

Many of our garden annuals make excellent 
flowering plants for the living-room in winter. 
Go over the Petunia bed, and when you find a 
particularly pleasing variety pot it. Cut away 
all the old top at potting-time. As soon as the 
roots have taken hold on the new soil you put 
them into, branches will be sent out from the 
crown of the plant. Nip these back until you 
have a dozen or more of them — enough to make 
the plant bushy and compact. Such a plant 
will begin to bloom as soon as taken into the 
house in fall, and continue to do so throughout 
the entire season if the old branches are cut 
back from time to time to induce the produc- 

106 



IN SUMMER 



tion of new ones. Ageratiini blooms beauti- 
fully in the house and will afford great pleas- 
ure because of its rare, delightful color. Salvia 
splendens — the intensely scarlet variety — is a 
far better winter bloomer than many of the 
rare plants sold by florists. 

Speaking of the Petunia as a house plant re- 
minds me that I wanted to tell my readers how 
I treat my Petunias in the garden beds. 
Those who have grown them know that along 
towards the latter part of summer the plants 
look rather the worse for wear. They have 
exhausted themselves by profuse flowering. 
When I see this, I go over the bed and cut 
away all the old growth. Not a stalk is left. 
Then I scatter fertilizer over the bed and wait 
for results. In a short time a vigorous growth 
of strong, new branches takes place, on which 
flowers quite as large and fine as those of early 
summer will be borne in wonderful profusion. 
In this way I force my plants to renew them- 
selves. They will be in their glory when heavy 
frosts come. Light frosts will not harm them. 

Now is the time to get baskets of hanging 
plants under way. Do not wait, as so many 
do, until late in the season before attending to 
this work. A basket of vines will not be at its 

107 



THE GARDEN 



best for at least six months, therefore we can- 
not afford to put oiF the preparation of it if we 
would have enjoyable specimens in midwinter, 
when they will be most appreciated. The 
commoner plants, like Moneywort, Lysi- 
machia, Othonna, Tradescantia, and Saxi- 
fraga, will afford more satisfaction than the 
"novelties" which florists offer for sale at 
fancy prices. Do not depend on single plants 
in the making up of baskets, but make use of 
at least half a dozen plants in each. All the 
sorts I have named will grow from cuttings, 
which need not go into the sand-box, but can 
be inserted in the soil with which the basket is 
filled. 

Right here I want to tell the lover of hang- 
ing plants how I keep mine supplied with 
water. Plants suspended from the ceihng are 
not easy to get at, and are frequently neglected 
or forgotten for days at a time. As a result, 
they are generally sorry-looking specimens. I 
take a tin can holding a pint or more. I make 
a hole in the bottom of it, just large enough to 
let water dribble through slowly. This I fill 
with water, and place on the soil in the centre 
of the basket. Generally there will be foliage 
enough to conceal it. If there is not, it can be 

108 



:Xt^ *«*«, -'■-TS*': 




Ebae 



A FLOURISHING HANGING-BASKET 



IN SUMMER 



made inconsiiicuous by painting it a dull green. 
The slow, steady outflow of water will keep 
the soil evenly moist if the hole in the can is 
of the right size. This must be determined by 
experiment. It is an easy matter to fill the can 
every day, or oftener if necessary, and put it 
in place, but it is not an easy matter to mount 
a chair or the step-ladder and apply water 
in the old way. 




THE FLOWERS OF 
FALL 




Thou blossom! bright with autumn dew, 
And colour' d with the heaven's own blue. 
That openest when the quiet light 
Succeeds the keen and frosty night. 

Bryant: To the Fringed Gentian. 




Along the river's summer walk, 

The withered tufts of asters nod; 
And trembles on the arid stalk 

The hoar plume of the golden-rod. 
And on a ground of sombre fir, 
And azure-studded juniper. 
The silver birch its buds of purple shows, 
And scarlet berries tell where bloomed the sweet 
wild-rose! 

Whittieb: The Last Walk in Autumn. 



THE FLOWERS OF 
FALL 




HE flowers of fall have a 
charm peculiarly their own 
and quite unlike that which 
invests those of the spring 
and summer. They are not 
less beautiful, but there is 
about them a sedateness, an 
air of repose, befitting the season, as if they 
realized that the end of things, for them, is near 
at hand, that the time had come to give up the 
ambitions of the months when there is a long 
prospect ahead of growth and development. 
The feeling is akin to the sense of rest and 
peace which characterizes human life in its sere 
and yellow leaf, with the consciousness of work 
well done and repose well earned. I do not 
know that I can better describe the impression 
which always comes to me at this time than 
in this little sonnet, written some years ago, 
after a tramp across the fields and over the 
hills on an October day, which was in itself a 
perfect poem: 

8 113 



THE FLOWERS 



Come, walk with me along the forest ways 

This autumn daj*. What peace is in the air! 
The woi'ld we look upon is wondrous fair. 

The far-off hills are dim in j)urple haze, 

And in the woods near by the maples' blaze 
Is like a ruddy bonfire. Here and there 
The golden-rod lifts up its torch in air. 

And scarlet woodbine lights the woodland ways. 

The birds sit silent by their empty nest; 

The air is drowsy with a spell of dreams, 
And as the leaves fall slowly, one by one. 

We look away into a golden west, 

And wlule the year's pale twilight round her gleams, 
Earth sits with folded hands, her work all done. 



Perhaps the most noticeable flower of fall is 
the Golden-rod, because of its brilliancy and 
the fact that it grows nearly everywhere. It 
is the true cosmopolite among the flowers of 
the western continent. It is " at home " wher- 
ever its roots find an opportunity to strike into 
the soil, and if the opportunity is not freely 
off"ered it makes one for itself. It is in no 
wise sensitive at the cold reception of its 
friendly advances. On the bleak hills of New 
England, along roadsides, and in pasture- 
lands it lights its flaming torches with an 
air in which cheerfulness and bravery are 
mingled in a sort of defiance, as if it realized 
that it must fight for existence and had brought 
to the task an optimistic courage and a sturdy 

114 



OF FALL 

determination to assert its rights. Farther 
west the plant takes on a different character, 
and has something of the happy-go-lucky air 
which is peculiar to our Western life. While 
the Golden-rod of New England seems for the 
most j^art to be a plant of wiry stalks and 
rugged rather than robust growth, that of the 
West grows to the height of a man's head and 
has a rank luxuriance which makes it seem 
quite unlike its New England relative. While 
there is more of it in size there is really less of 
it in beauty, in my way of looking at things. 
The New England Golden-rod has quality, 
which the Western Golden-rod strives to offset 
by quantity, and on this account the latter is 
less a favorite with the artist and the flower- 
lover than that of the East. 

The Golden-rod is a plant which when it is 
domesticated loses much of the charm with 
which it is associated in its native haunts. It 
Avill grow readily in the garden — too readily, 
indeed ; for give it a place there, in rich soil, and 
it will speedily become as domineering and 
aggressive as the English sparrow, which it re- 
minds me of in many ways. It will take entire 
possession of the place, crowding out every 
plant it comes in contact with, and its prosper- 

115 



THE FLOWERS 



ity seems to develop in it an arrogance which 
will not long be tolerated. The result of most 
attempts to make it a garden flower which 
have come under my observation is that it is 
soon banished from the society it has under- 
taken to rule in too lordlj^ a fashion. Like 
many persons we have all known, it cannot 
stand prosperity. It is well, perhaps, that it 
is not adapted to garden culture, for too great 
familiarity might breed a sort of contempt for 
it. It would entirely lose the charm of wild, 
vagrant freedom which always clings about 
it when it grows in the garden of Nature's 
planting. 

The Golden-rod has been a much-abused 
plant of late. Some very scientific persons 
have suddenly discovered that it is the cause 
of hay-fever, and I have been requested — in 
some instances ordered — to cease saying 
friendly things about it. If I continued to 
speak of it as a plant to be tolerated, to say 
nothing of its being enjoyed, I would be set 
down as a deliberate conspirator against the 
health of my fellow-men. Now there happens 
to be unlimited quantities of the plant growing 
all about the locality in which I reside, acres 
and acres of it, all along the lowlands near 

116 



or FALL 

the river, while the pastures and hill-sides are 
brilliant with the bonfires which it kindles on 
every hand. It is certainly reasonable to sup- 
pose that some of us who live where it flourishes 
ought to have hay-fever if this disagreeable 
disease is so produced. But the fact is, we 
do not have it. The only cases of hay- fever 
ever known in the eastern part of Wisconsin 
are those which come from the city. By com- 
ing into the haunts of the plant, they at once 
find relief, and, moreover, if the sufferer comes 
early enough in the season he may escape it 
altogether. Another charge not long ago 
made against the Golden-rod was that horses 
were killed by eating it. This claim is quite 
as absurd as the other, for horses and cattle 
are pastured where it grows year after year, 
and we have never heard of one case of injury 
from it. So far as I have been able to observ^e, 
they never touch it. 

ep* «3* t^ 

THE Aster is far less brilliant than the 
Golden-rod, but it has about it a dreanw, 
hazy kind of beauty which makes it a universal 
favorite with those who are fond of quiet 
colors. There are many varieties of the Aster 



THE FLOWERS 



growing among the Golden-rod, some with 
flowers of rosy violet, large as those of the 
Daisy, and produced in such profusion as to 
entirely cover the plant, some with flowers of 
the palest, softest blue, with a heart of gold, 
and others which seem a reflection of the skies 
of Indian-Summer time. The earlier sorts, 
which begin to bloom in July, are almost white, 
and so unlike the later flowers in most respects 
that we hardly think of them as Asters. The 
late Aster is a most charming flower, and when 
found in close proximity to the Golden-rod, 
as it almost always is, it intensifies the brilliant 
colors of that flower by strong contrast. 
There is a sort of camaraderie between the two 
which is suggestive of steadfast, old-time 
friendship, and I often think of them as two 
old floral tramps which have weathered many 
a storm together, and whom it would be unkind 
to separate. Apart, they would pine for the 
old companionship, and life would not be what 
it was before they came to the parting of the 
ways. Let them live and get all the good they 
can out of life together. Some varieties of 
Aster, especially that catalogued by Gray as 
Nova Anglse, are easily domesticated. Under 
cultivation they become most attractive late- 

118 



OF FALL 

flowering plants for the garden. I have two 
l^lants about five j^ears old, which were sent me 
from a New England hill-side, and each year 
they send up a dozen or more stalks to a height 
of six or eight feet. These branch freely, and 
they are completely covered with rosy-purple 
flowers from October to the coming of winter. 
Few plants in the garden attract more atten- 
tion, and most persons fail to recognize them, 
so much larger are they in every way than the 
Aster of the field and pasture. They increase 
in size each year, but do not spread like the 
Golden-rod when admitted to the border. But 
the most delightful Aster of all is the variety 
Chapmanii, whose flowers seem fashioned from 
fring}^ fragments of the hazy November skies. 
It is a flower which dreams are born of, a 
flower that sets one thinking of the " days that 
are no more," and seems as much a part of 
autumn as the plaintive cry of the quail in the 
russet stubble-field or the haze that wraps itself 
about the hills and fills the valleys with that 
sense of vagueness and unreality which belongs 
to no season so much as to late autumn. 

In many portions of the West the lowlands 
and swamps which have been burned over 
are literally ablaze during September and Oc- 

119 



THE FLOWERS 



tober with the yellow splendor of a variety 
of Coreopsis, whose flowers are so closely 
clustered along the slender, wide-spreading 
branches that there seems room for no more. I 
know of no flower of a richer, more intense 
color. It is like concentrated sunshine. It 
always sets me thinking of the old legends of 
the " Field of the Cloth of Gold." An old 
swamp grown up to this flower is a gorgeous 
sight to see when it is in full bloom. Stretch- 
ing away over acre after acre on which nothing 
else seems to grow, it lifts its golden disks in a 
radiant air whose brightness seems diffused 
from it, and the eye is dazzled by it as by 
looking at the sun. 



^ 



IF, during September and often later, one 
takes a stroll along the low banks of a creek 
or river, or into swampy places where the soil is 
of an alluvial or vegetable character, he is sure, 
in many localities at the North, and very likely 
at the South also, to come upon dense growths 
of Celandine, not infrequently standing waist- 
high in shady places, and looking fragile as 
frostwork almost with its half -transparent 

120 



OF FALL 

stalks and delicate foliage. The blossoms of 
the plant are dainty little things, some a clear, 
pale yellow, some spotted and splashed most 
fantastically with brown. The name of Jewel- 
weed, by which the plant is known in many 
localities, is strikingly appropriate, as the pen- 
dant flowers have a sort of moonstone appear- 
ance as they swing from their slender stems 
along the many branches. Children are always 
delighted to find this plant because of its ex- 
plosive seed-pods. Touch them ever so lightty, 
and they burst. Because of this habit it is 
known by the name of Touch-me-not by the 
children, and they never tire of causing the 
seed-vessels to burst and scatter far and wide 
the little green seeds hidden away within. 

In low, moist places we often find the Eupa- 
torium, better known as Boneset, growing in 
great masses, as if someone had set about culti- 
vating it in beds of irregular shape. It is not 
a showy flower, but is always noticeable be- 
cause of its lanceolate leaves uniting at the base 
about the stem and its stately habit of growth. 
Its white petals soon take on a dinginess that 
detracts greatly from the charm of its f eatheiy 
clusters as seen in the early part of the season, 
but most country -bred people are glad to meet 

121 



THE FLOWERS 



with it, probably because they have grateful 
memories of the supposed relief an infusion of 
" thorough wort " afforded them in their child- 
ish ailments. We forget the bitterness of the 
nauseating draught, and generally gather an 
armful of it, bringing it home to add to the 
row of herbs that hang along the attic rafters. 
To it we also add great bundles of White 
Snakehead, whose flowers used to send a de- 
lightful tingle of fear through us as we looked 
into their open mouths, easih'^ imagined the 
jaws of a veritable snake, for the resemblance 
of the peculiar blossom to the head of a serpent 
is very striking. There is a rose-colored 
variety which is quite rare, seldom found grow- 
ing aw^ay from moist, marshy places. The 
flowers of both varieties are nearly sessile, in 
spikes or clusters, each blossom set in a concave 
bract. Bitter as is the decoction of Thorough- 
wort, that of Snakehead is far more so, leaving 
its tang in the mouth for hours. I never shall 
forget how suddenly we children used to re- 
cover from our indispositions when we saw the 
basin of Snakehead put to steep upon the 
kitchen stove. They used to give it to us to 
"make an appetite" and to "tone us up" in 
spring, and for "biliousness" and to correct 

122 



OF FALL 

various other morbid conditions of the system, 
and to this day whenever I come across the 
plant I can hardlj^ resist the impulse to gather 
it, — probably with a vague, hardly compre- 
hended desire to inflict a dose of it upon some- 
one as a means of getting even w^ith the past. 



I HAVE very vivid recollections of how we 
used to hunt for Gentians in early fall, and 
how delighted we were when we found them. 
The fringed gentian is one of the loveliest of 
all blue flowers, and it is a source of regret to 
all flower-lovers that it is not more plentiful. 
The closed gentian has always seemed an im- 
perfect flower to me, — a flower checked in its 
develoj^ment before it had reached the stage 
of opening its blue-and-white petals. The 
Gentian is almost alwaj^s found in low, damp 
soils, generally along the banks of a stream 
where there is a good deal of shade. I know 
of but few places where it can be found at 
present ; it seems to be retreating, like the red 
man. But once in a while, of late years, I 
have come upon little colonies of it as if it had 
called a temporary halt in its retreat. I have 
not found a fringed Gentian in a long time. 

123 



THE FLOWERS 



In old meadows which have heen neglected 
until, in country parlance, they have become 
" run out," we find dazzling exhibitions of sev- 
eral varieties of Rudbeckia. The farmer looks 
upon this as a pest, and sees no more beauty 
in it than in the summer daisy, but we of a 
different stand-point cannot help admiring the 
brilliant blossoms, more especially those of the 
cone-flower type with tall brown centres. Re- 
cently a new sort of Rudbeckia has been intro- 
duced into our gardens under the fanciful 
name of " Golden Glow." It bears very little 
resemblance to the ordinary Rudbeckia. Its 
flowers are large and double, and so like those 
of the popular decorative Dahlia that they are 
often mistaken for them. The cone has been 
cultivated out of them entirely, if they ever had 
one. They are magnificent autumn bloomers, 
furnishing hundreds of flowers of the richest 
golden yellow from each well-established plant. 
It is so entirely hardy, and of such a sturdy, 
rambling character, that if it could once get a 
foothold in the meadows it would soon make 
itself quite at home. 

Along in September one finds great clumps 
of Vervain, with multitudes of small sessile 
flowers in panicled spikes, both blue and white, 



124 



OF FALL 

blooming by the roadsides, and often, in the 
fields beyond, the Veronia, or Iron-weed, 
stands up as stiffly as a grenadier, holding its 
corymbose cymes of rose-purple flowers well 
above all other plants in the vicinity. In 
places where a fire has burned the ground over 
the Fire-weed will be found. This is a coarse, 
erect annual, of rank smell when disturbed, 
with insignificant leaves, and large paniculate- 
corymbed heads of greenish-white flowers. 
Where it comes from, no one knows. It may 
not have been seen for years, but the year fol- 
lowing a fire you will find it growing as thickly 
as if sown by man. It will hold possession 
until someone begins to cultivate the soil. 
Then it disappears as suddenly as it came. 



WE have at the West and South a Helen- 
ium autumnale, more generally known 
as Sneezeweed. It belongs to the great Com- 
posite family, and might well be classed with 
the Helianthus. It has a row of yellow petals, 
notched at the end, about a disk of brown. It 
is a showy little plant in itself, but the chief 
charm of it to children is its ability to set one 
sneezing. They gather the flower-heads after 

125 



THE FLOWERS 



the petals have faded and rub the centre to a 
powder. Held to the nose, this so titillates 
the tissues of the olfactories that a violent fit 
of sneezing ensues. I well remember how I 
once braved paternal wrath by taking a pocket- 
ful of it to church, and distributing it slyly 
among as many children as I could communi- 
cate with before services began, with the under- 
standing that it was to be scattered under the 
pews just before the benediction was pro- 
nounced. So faithfully were instructions car- 
ried out, that before the " amen " was said the 
entire congregation was sneezing as if a most 
aggravated form of influenza had suddenly 
descended upon it, and I was experiencing a 
delight balanced by a dread of consequences 
in case my wickedness were discovered — as it 
was. 

In the home garden we have but few flowers 
that bloom after frost comes. These are the 
Asters, the hardier Chrysanthemums, the Hy- 
drangea, the Pansy, the perennial Phlox, and 
the Japan Anemone. These continue to show 
a brave face to the on-coming Winter until he 
is actually upon them and has them in his icy 
clutch. The Dahlia, the Canna, and the Cos- 
mos help to make bright the early fall, but 

126 



or FALL 

the first frosty night puts an end to their 
beauty and often to their fife. Often in the 
garden- ways of late fall we come upon a flower 
of the summertime grown from an early- 
ripened seed w^iich the wind has sown. Some- 
times these estrays almost startle us, so out of 
place they seem. They always have a sort of 
uncanny air to me. Perhaps they are memor- 
ies of dead things which haunt the heart of the 
dying year. Who knows? 

But even after the snows, which often fall in 
November, have covered the dead leaves we 
may find flowers in the woodlands. They are 
not, however, revealed to a careless seeker who 
expects to discover them by gleams of brilliant 
color. It takes sharj:) eyes to ferret out the 
Witch-hazel's tiny, fringe-like blooms, which 
come along after the last leaf has fallen from 
the branch. But tliey are there, and their 
work is done in tlie dull November that closes 
the season, as if they had somehow got behind- 
hand during the day and must finish their labor 
after the nightfall had closed in. 



FALL WORK 

IN THE GARDEN 




What visionary tints the year puts on, 
When falling leaves falter through motionless air, 

Or numbly cling and shiver to be gone! 
How shimmer the low flats and pastures bare, 
As with her nectar Hebe Autumn fills 
The bowl between me and those distant hills. 
And smiles and shakes abroad her misty, tremu- 
lous hair! 

Lowell: An Indian Summer Reverie. 




The warm sun is failing, the bleak wind is wailing, 
The bare boughs are sighing, the pale flowers are dying; 

And the year 
On the earth her deathbed, in a shroud of leaves dead 
Is lying. 
Come, months, come away. 
From November to May, 
In your saddest array; 
Follow the bier 
Of the dead cold year. 
And like dim shadows watch by her sepulchre. 

Shelley: Autumn, A Dirge. 



FALL WORK IN THE 
GARDEN 



• • • • 




HE fact that fall affords 
ample opportunity for a good 
deal of work in the garden is 
not generally recognized by 
the amateur gardener. He 
has the impression that very 
little can be done to advan- 
tage at that season, consequently very little — 
oftener nothing at all — is done. The natural 
result of this way of thinking is that our gar- 
dens suffer in more ways than one from neglect 
which a little study of the subject would do 
away with. 

The fact is, a great deal of work can be done 
to better advantage in the fall than in the 
spring. By giving proper attention we may 
anticipate, in a considerable degree, much that 
is generally done in March and April, — and 
poorly done, in many instances, because of the 
rush which then comes on. If all that part of 
garden-work which can be done advanta- 
geously in fall is done then, that which is left 

131 



FALL WORK IN 



for the spring can be done much more thor- 
oughly than is usually the case because of the 
absence of the hurry which nearly always char- 
acterizes work in the garden when two seasons 
are crowded into one. Therefore, for the 
sake of avoiding undue haste and the slovenly 
work likely to grow out of it, as well as for the 
garden's sake, aim to do in fall all that can be 
done then, and do it well. Keep in mind the 
fact which every wise gardener fully under- 
stands the force of, that a garden which re- 
ceives attention only during the spring season 
is a garden only half-cared for. 

"^ <o «f 

ABOUT the first garden-work to be done in 
fall is the making and planting of the 
bulb-bed, to which a late chapter of this book 
is devoted. I shall therefore merely summarize 
the points there elaborated. 

Bulbs should be planted as early in the fall 
as possible. September is the best month to 
do the work in. October answers very well. 
But I would never encourage anyone to defer 
it until November, because late-planted bulbs 
have very little time to make root-growths in. 
Early-planted ones complete this part of their 

132 



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BED or NARCISSUS 



THE GARDEN 



yearly work before cold weather comes, and 
they are therefore in fine condition for the work 
of the season when spring arrives. Hence, 
plant early. 

In making beds for bulbs, spade the ground 
up well to the depth of at least a foot and make 
it fine and mellow, working into it a liberal 
amount of old, well-rotted cow-manure. If 
not naturally well-drained, provide good arti- 
ficial drainage, for no bulb will do well if water 
collects and stands about its roots. Let the 
beds have a slope from centre to edge, that 
the water from melting snows and early rains 
may run off readily. Make your beds as soon 
as you send off your order for bulbs. Have 
everything in readiness for them, and when 
they arrive put them into the ground at once. 
Bulbs exposed to the air and light part rapidly 
with their vitality. Plant the larger ones 
about eight inches apart and from five to six 
inches deep. Four inches apart and four to 
five inches deep will answer for the smaller 
ones. Before cold w^eather sets in cover the 
beds with litter or leaves to the depth of a foot. 

Right here let me briefly explain the philoso- 
phy of a winter covering for plants, as it will 
enable the reader to understand better the whys 

133 



FALL WORK IN 



and wherefores of much of the advice given in 
this article. We do not protect plants in win- 
ter with a view to keeping the frost away from 
them, as many suppose, but to keep it in after it 
has penetrated the ground about the roots of 
the plants. In other words, we aim to prevent 
the sun from thawing out the frost. 

It is a fact not very well understood as yet 
by most amateur gardeners that injury to 
plants in winter results from violent alterna- 
tions of heat and cold, rather than continued 
cold. To-night they freeze. To-morrow the 
sun shines and extracts the frost, and at night 
they freeze again. The frequent and rapid 
alternation of these conditions brings about a 
rupture of cells, which weakens the plant if it 
does not iTiin it. If a comparatively tender 
plant is frozen and remains in that condition 
throughout the winter, and the frost is ex- 
tracted gradually from it in spring, as a gen- 
eral thing no harm will be done. By covering 
the roots of plants in fall we keep the sunshine 
from interfering with the frost in the soil, and 
it remains in control until spring weather oper- 
ates upon it and overcomes it by such slow de- 
grees that there are no abrupt transitions to do 
violence to the plant-cells. In this way we 

134 



THE GARDEN 



prevent the soil from heaving under the action 
of frost and breaking the tender roots of the 
plants. Some roots, however, are elastic 
enough to be able to adjust themselves to the 
strain made upon them, but those of the bulbs 
are not of this class, and because of their inelas- 
ticity they are sure to be greatly injured if 
not given the protection they need. 

Hardy herbaceous and perennial plants can 
be set out or transplanted to advantage in fall. 
Old clumps are quite likely to need division and 
resetting. In order to keep them in vigorous 
health prune away all weak and diseased roots, 
and in no way can this be done so effectively as 
by lifting the entire plant, cutting it apart, 
and discarding all but the strongest roots. If 
this is done as soon as the plant ceases to grow 
and appears to be dormant, the newly-set plant 
will have time to make considerable root- 
growth in its new location before cold weather 
puts an end to work of this kind. Next season 
it will bloom as if nothing had happened to it, 
but, of course, it will not give as many flowers 
as an older plant because there will be fewer 
flower-stalks ; but it will make a strong growth 
during the season, and the second year will see 
it at its best. After the third crop of flowers 

135 



FALL WORK IN 



from transplanting it is well to repeat this 
treatment. By doing some of it each year you 
have two sets of plants in hand, — one in its 
prime and one getting ready to do its most 
satisfactory work next year. 



HOLLYHOCKS and other perennial 
plants which are grown from seed sown 
during the summer should be transplanted in 
fall to the places where they are to bloom. The 
Hollyhock is very hardy, but it is quite sus- 
ceptible to injury from excessive moisture. 
The rains of spring and water from melting 
snow bring about decay of the thick and 
spongy foliage, which is quite sure to be com- 
municated to the crown of the plant, and 
from there it extends to the roots. To prevent 
this I would advise covering each plant with 
something that will turn aside water. An 
inverted flower-pot, an old box, or a pail that 
has outlived its usefulness in the household 
will answer for the purpose well. After put- 
ting whatever you make use of as a water 
j)rotector in place, throw litter or leaves about 
it, as advised for bulbs. This can be removed 
as soon as the ground thaws in spring, but I 



THE GARDEN 



would not advise uncovering the plants until 
the rainy season is over. Leave them covered 
until the time comes for growth to begin. It 
is a most excellent plan in growing the Holly- 
hock to have the ground slope away on all sides 
froni the crown of your plants. This prevents 
water from settling about or near the plant. 
No other border plant is so easily injured by 
excessive moisture, especially if it comes in 
contact with the foliage. 

Shrubs can be transplanted with entire 
safety immediately after they have completely 
ripened the growth of the season. This is indi- 
cated by the fall of the foliage. In trans- 
planting them disturb the roots as little as pos- 
sible. Keep all roots which are unavoidably 
exposed covered with wet sacking or moss 
while out of the ground. If any are muti- 
lated, cut them off smoothly with a sharp knife. 
Before lifting any shrub have the place where 
it is to be planted read}^ for it, and be sure to 
ha^ e it large enough to allow for a natural 
disposal of all its roots. After filling in with 
fine soil about the plant, water well. All 
transplanted shrubs should be pruned sharply 
at planting-time; as a general thing, a third 
of the old wood should be removed. Provide 

137 



FALL WORK IN 



yourself with a good pruning-knife and see 
that it is kept sharp enough to make a smooth, 
clean cut. A dull knife that " haggles " away 
the wood should never be tolerated. 

Pruning can be done to advantage in fall 
among such shrubs as are not laid down and 
covered in winter. These latter should be left 
for spring-pruning. There can be no hard- 
and-fast rule as to how to prune or how much 
to prune. The character and habit of the 
shrub must determine this to a great extent. 
Some have but few branches. These will re- 
quire no thinning out, but simply a shortening, 
which will induce the production of side 
branches, thus giving a more bushy and com- 
pact plant than would be likely if the plant 
were left to itself. Other shrubs make such 
a rampant growth that they soon become a 
thicket. These should be thinned out, leaving 
the plant open to a free circulation of air. Old 
and weak wood should always be removed. 
By yearly attention to this matter we may 
renew a shrub from season to season and keep 
it always strong, provided we feed it well. 
But care must be taken in pruning to discrim- 
inate between shrubs which produce flowers in 
spring from buds formed in fall, like those of 

138 



THE GARDEN 



the Lilac, and those which make growth in 
spring before blooming. The latter may 
safely be pruned now, but all belonging to the 
class of which the Lilac is a representative 
should not be pruned until after the completion 
of the flowering period. To prune such shrubs 
at this season is to destroy next spring's crop of 
floM^ers. 

<o »^ • <^ 

ROSES are generally considered hardy 
plants, except at the extreme North, but 
the fact is, few varieties are sufficiently hardy 
to stand the severity of winter north of Phila- 
delphia without protection. They may come 
through safely for some years in succession. 
Then a peculiar season happens along and our 
bushes are almost i-uined by it. In order to 
make sure of wintering them well it is quite 
necessary to protect them in some way. Some 
persons gather the stalks together and wrap 
them in straw from the ground uj). This 
method is not always satisfactory. The best 
system of protection for the Rose of which I 
have any knowledge is that of bending the 
bushes down upon the ground and covering 
them with soil to the depth of five or six inches. 

139 



FALL WORK IN 



This plan, however, is adapted only to locations 
where surface water will run away readily. 
Stagnant water about rose-branches in spring, 
before it is safe to uncover them, will always 
severely injure them. In bending down the 
bushes, ^preparatory to covering them, great 
care should be taken not to break or crack the 
stiff and somewhat brittle stalks. Make your 
bends slowly and gently in order to allow the 
branches to accommodate themselves to the 
strain put upon them. When you have them 
flat upon the ground lay a piece of sod upon 
them to hold them in proper position until you 
can give them their final covering. Lay them 
all in the same direction and as close together 
as possible to economize in covering material. 
Old and large stalks and the great canes of 
the Climbing Roses are exceedingly difficult to 
manage without injuring them. To avoid the 
risk of breaking them, as the result of too 
abrupt a bend, I would advise heaping earth 
against the base of the plant, on the side 
towards which the stalks are to be bent, and 
bending tlie bushes over it carefully and slowly. 
This substitutes curves for sharp bends and 
greatly simplifies the work of caring for stub- 
born plants. If soil is used as covering, let 

140 



THE GARDEN 



it be as light and porous as possible. Leaves 
are excellent, if one can get enough of them. 
Lay boards or evergreen branches or wire net- 
ting over them to j^revent their being blown 
away. The hardier sorts of hybrid Tea Roses 
should have their tops cut off close to the 
ground and be covered with at least a foot of 
leaves, confined within a pen of boards or an 
old box. 

The Teas and so-called Ever-bloomers — a 
class comprising the Bengal, Noisette, and 
Chinese roses — are so tender that they cannot 
be expected to survive the rigors of a Northern 
winter unless they are given the very best of 
protection. Even then they cannot always be 
depended on. Several methods are employed. 
Some pack straw snugly about the plants and 
cover it with four or five inches of earth. 
Others make little bundles of straw and lay 
two tiers of them all about the plants at right 
angles, thus making a sort of house of 
strawy which is filled in with leaves or litter, 
with a roof of evergreen branches. Either 
of these methods, if carefully carried out, 
will save seventy-five per cent, of the plants. 
Those who cannot obtain straw can use 
earth alone, putting leaves, litter, or other 

141 



FALL WORK IN 



refuse on top, with wire netting to hold it in 
place if evergreen boughs are not to be had. 
If one fears to trust these roses to out-door 
wintering, they can be lifted late in fall, packed 
closely together in boxes of soil, and stored in 
the cellar. There they should be kept cold and 
dry. In April they can be set out in the gar- 
den. Most of them will winter safely in this 
way, but we do not get such growth from them 
as from those left in the ground. The tops of 
these tender Roses should be cut away before 
covering or lifting. All we care to save is the 
roots. The ideal covering is snow. I have 
several times had very tender varieties covered 
with snow before I had given them any atten- 
tion whatever. Every one of the plants so 
covered which remained covered until spring 
came through in excellent condition. If all 
our Roses could have a snow-drift to winter 
in, there would be no difficulty about bringing 
them through in good condition. 

Roses should not be uncovered in spring 
until the weather becomes settled. Too early 
removal of protection is often followed by cold 
weather, which injures the plants quite as much 
as exposure during the winter would. " One 
swallow doesn't make a summer," neither does 

142 



THE GARDEN 



one bright, warm day assure us that weather 
which can be trusted has come to stay. There- 
fore, to be on the safe side, allow your Roses 
to remain covered until the buds on other 
shrubs begin to grow. Even then do not re- 
move the covering all at one time, but be sev- 
eral days about it, that the plants may grad- 
ually adjust themselves to the new condition of 
things. 

v^ "^ «^ 

THE early frosts of fall will generally be 
severe enough to put an end to the flower- 
ing of Dahlias and scorch the foliage off the 
Canna and the Caladium, but it is not advisable 
to lift the roots of these plants until some 
weeks later. Let them ripen oiF in the ground. 
Along in the latter part of October dig them. 
Choose a warm, sunny day for this work. Lift 
each clump of roots carefully, and lay it on 
boards in the sun, after shaking off as much of 
the soil as will readily part with it. Do not re- 
move the old stalks at this time. At night cover 
the roots well with blankets or old carpet. 
Next day, if the weather is favorable, expose 
them to the sun, and do this for several days in 
succession, being careful to cover them each 

143 



FALL WORK IN 



night. After a little the earth will all crumble 
away from them. Then — and not till then — 
cut off the stalks three or four inches from 
the roots. Leave them exposed to the ripening 
effect of late fall sunshine as long as it seems 
safe to do so. Then store Dahlias, Cannas, 
and Caladiums in the cellar, putting them on 
shelves some distance from the floor and 
spreading them out well. Never heap them 
together and never put them on or near the 
floor, where they will gather dampness. Gladi- 
olus roots can be put in paper bags and hung in 
frost-proof rooms. Some prefer to keep 
Dahlias and other tuberous roots there, think- 
ing it a safer place for them than the cellar. 
But I prefer the cellar, unless it is a damp one. 
In rooms the roots are likely to dry out too 
much. Never make the mistake of lifting 
these roots and taking them immediately to the 
cellar or other place of storage. If this is 
done, they are almost sure to decay. They 
should be given ample time to dry out well 
before being put away for the winter. Bear 
this in mind, for it is of the utmost importance. 
Aquatic plants grown in natural ponds will 
need no protection, but those grown in cement 
basins or wooden tanks, as most are at present 

144 



THE GARDEN 



ill amateur gardening, will have to be protected 
against severe freezing. A good plan is to set 
boards up about the tank or basin containing 
the plants in such a manner as to leave a space 
of about a foot between the surface of the 
water and the covering. Lay boards across 
these, and then cover with at least a foot of 
coarse litter, heaping it up well about the sides 
of the tank. With such a covering the plants 
will no doubt freeze to some extent, but not 
sufficiently to injure them. The roots of ten- 
der varieties should be packed in moist soil 
and stored in the cellar, where the temperature 
can be kept at about fifty degrees. 

The amateur gardener often finds it difficult 
to decide as to the time when winter protection 
should be given his plants. Sometimes we 
have pleasant weather until late in fall, and we 
put off this work from dajr to day, thinking 
they would be injured by covering them while 
warm weather continued. All at once cold 
weather comes and finds our plants wholty un- 
prepared for it. We at once set about doing 
the work that ought to have been done before, 
but whatever is done under unpleasant condi- 
tions is likely to be poorly done, and the result 
of our neglect is quite apparent when spring 



lU 145 



FALL WORK IN 



comes. We are entirely safe in counting on 
cold weather by the first of November at the 
North, and I would advise getting plants 
ready for winter at that time. It is so late in 
the season that no harm will be done by it if the 
weather continues mild. Choose a pleasant 
day for this work, if possible, and do it leis- 
urely, that it may be well done. It doesn't 
pay to hurry it, for hurry means half -doing 
what you undertake. 

We have many shrubs which are considered 
iron-clad in their ability to resist the influences 
of a severe winter, but I find that it is well 
worth while to give some protection to even 
these. A few forkfuls of litter about their 
roots will be of great benefit to them because 
the covering, though slight, enables them to 
save something in vitality, and a saving in the 
vital force of all plants is what should be aimed 
at if we would have them do their best. 

<o «^ «5 

AFTER the work outlined above is done 
there will still be considerable to do in 
getting the garden readj^ for winter. Neatness 
should characterize it at all times, and in order 
to have it as attractive as possible during the 

146 



THE GARDEN 



winter everything of an unsightly nature should 
be cleared away. Go over the border and cut off 
old flower- stalks close to the roots they sprang 
from. Never leave this refuse to be blown 
about by the winter winds, but make a heap 
of it and burn it. Gather up the stakes and 
trellises used as supports for plants in summer 
and store them away in some sheltered place. 
If this is done each fall, and a coating of paint 
is given them each spring, they will do good 
service for several years, but if left exposed to 
the weather the year round they will seldom 
outlast a second season. The same is true of 
all garden appliances. The wise gardener will 
never leave his rake or hoe hanging on the 
fence or a tree-limb over winter, and the spade 
and trowel in the bed where he used them last. 
There is a great deal of satisfaction in having 
good tools to work with, and rusty tools are 
never good ones. With proper attention they 
can be kept in fine condition until worn out. 
Go over them with sand-paper when you store 
them away, and scour them till they shine. 
Then give each one a wash of oil to protect it 
against dampness. When the last of these 
little jobs is done, and not till then, the work 
of the season can be considered as ended. 



THE GROWING OF 

BULBS 





I like not lady-slippers 

Nor yet the sweet-pea blossoms. 

Nor yet the flaky roses. 

Red or white as snow; 
I like the chaliced lilies. 
The heavy J^astern lilies. 
The gorgeous tiger-lilies. 

That in our garden grow. 
T. B. Aldrich: Tiger-Lilies. 




Hail to the King of Bethlehem, 
Who weareth in his diadem 
The yellow crocus for the gem 
Of his authority! 

Longfellow: Christus. 

Fair daffadills, we weep to see 

You haste away so soone ; 
As yet the early-rising sun 

Has not attained its noone. 



We have short time to stay as you. 
We have as short a spring; 

As quick a growth to meet decay 
As you or anything. 

Herrick: Daffadills. 



THE GROWING OF 
BULBS :: :: :: 




O garden is complete that does 
not include a collection of 
hardy bulbs. They give us 
flowers from a month to six 
weeks earlier in the season 
than we can expect them 
from most herbaceous plants 
and ordinary shrubs, thus bridging over the 
long interval between the going of the snow 
and the coming of the Peonies and the Aqui- 
legias. We have no plants of easier culture, 
and few plants that cost us less labor. They 
can be grown in almost any soil, and the beds in 
which they are grown can be given up to an- 
nuals, after their flowering period is over, with- 
out disturbing them or injuring them in the 
least. 

In view of these facts, the lover of flowers 
who has not a collection of bulbs is urged to 
make one, and it is the purpose of this article 
to give such information as the amateur needs 
in doing so. 

151 



THE GROWING 



All bulbs like a rich, well-drained, mellow 
soil. They will not do well in heavy soils, and 
a great deal of moisture about their roots is 
fatal to them. Therefore in selecting a place 
for them choose one naturally well drained, if 
possible. If you are not sure of good, natural 
drainage, set about j)roviding a means of 
escape for surplus water by excavating the soil 
to the depth of at least a foot — eighteen inches 
would be better — and filling in at the bottom 
of the excavation with from four to six inches 
of broken pottery, brick, old cans, — anything, 
in fact, which will not decay readily and allow 
the soil above it to settle back into its former 
hardness, and thus become as retentive of mois- 
ture as it was before anything was done with it. 
Too little attention is given to this part of 
the work, and the result of the neglect is soon 
seen in the failure of the bulbs to bloom, and 
their entire disappearance in a year or two. 
If you cannot provide good drainage, do not 
undertake to grow them. Failure is a fore- 
gone conclusion if your bulbs have to stand 
with their roots in mud at the time when active, 
healthy growth ought to be taking place. 

In making a bulb-bed, throw up the soil and 
let it remain exposed to air and sunshine until 

152 



OF BULBS 



it is in a condition to crumble readilj^ under 
the application of the hoe. Then work it over 
and over, until it is as fine and mellow as it can 
possibly be. Do not be satisfied with it as long 
as a lump as large as a robin's egg can be found 
in it. The use of the hoe and the iron-toothed 
rake will soon reduce it to the proper degree of 
mellowness. After you have pulverized it 
pretty thoroughly, add a liberal amount of 
manure to it. This is of great importance, as 
bulbs require a nutritious soil, and cannot do 
themselves justice unless it is given them. 
Old, black, well-rotted manure from the cow- 
yard is the ideal fertilizer for them. Use it 
in the proportion of one part manure to three 
parts soil, and be very sure to see that it is 
thoroughly incorporated with the earth thrown 
out of the bed before it is returned to it and it 
is pronounced ready for the reception of your 
bulbs. Do not slight any of this work, as 
success depends upon the thoroughness with 
which it is done. 



MANY persons delay bulb-planting until 
late in the season, thinking that all it 
is really necessary to do is to get them into 

153 



THE GROWING 



the ground before cold weather comes. This 
is a mistake. Bulbs should be planted in 
October, while the ground is still warm. Be- 
fore a bulb can produce blossoms, it must 
make roots for the support of the new growth 
of the season. This it will do in fall, if 
planted early, and in spring it will be ready 
for the work demanded of it. Late-planted 
bulbs do not have time to form these roots 
before the ground freezes, consequently they 
have double duty to perform when spring 
comes, and quite naturally they fail to do good 
work, because too much is required of them 
at that time. Therefore see to it that j^our 
bulbs are planted as early in the fall as pos- 
sible. Begin to get ready for them as soon 
as your order goes to the florist, and put them 
into the ground as soon as they are received. 

Bulbs of ordinary size, like the Tulip and the 
Hyacinth, should be planted from four to five 
inches deep. The smaller ones, like the Crocus 
and Snowdrop, need not go down so far, but 
Lilies require very deep planting. Eight 
inches below the soil is not too much for them. 
If nearer the surface, the action of frost in the 
soil is quite sure to heave them from their 
places to a greater or less extent, thus breaking 

154 



or BULBS 



the roots that were formed after they were 
planted, and anything that brings about such a 
disturbance is sure seriously and permanently 
to injure them. Covering them with litter in 
November will do much to prevent injury of 
this kind, but it does not justify shallow plant- 
ing. It is a good plan to give all bulbs a cover- 
ing of coarse manure, hay, or corn-stalks be- 
fore cold weather sets in. It will not keep out 
the frost, — that we cannot expect to do by 
anj'- system of protection, — but it will prevent 
the alternation of freezing and thawing which 
generally takes place. And this change of 
conditions, often abrupt and violent, is what 
does to our plants the injury we must aim to 
avoid. Eight or ten inches of litter from the 
barn-yard will be found very effective in keep- 
ing the sun from thawing out the soil after it 
is frozen. No harm is done by intense cold as 
long as it continues without interruption. 

It is not within the province of this article to 
outline any plan of planting, for the amateur 
gardener will prefer to make or select her own 
designs. This is one of the pleasures of 
flower-growing which the veriest tyro should 
not forego. Think out and originate new 
arrangements after familiarizing yourself with 

155 



THE GROWING 



the habits and colors of the bulbs you plant. 
I would shnply suggest, in this connection, 
that by keeping each kind of bulb by itself you 
will be more likely to secure satisfactory re- 
sults than you will bj^ planting several kinds 
in the same bed. As a general thing, the 
various kinds do not harmonize well enough to 
warrant us planting them indiscriminately. 

What kinds would I advise you to use? I 
would answer that question by advising you to 
procure the catalogue of some reliable dealer 
and study it well, and, having done this, to 
select such kinds as you think you would like 
best. Nearly all the bulbs you will find de- 
scribed there are hardy enough to stand a 
northern winter, especially if given such a cov- 
ering as has been spoken of, and j^ou can de- 
pend on them to produce fine flowers if your 
part of the work is well done. Therefore you 
will be safe in allowing your preference for 
color and kind to govern your selection. 



OF late years bulbs have played a promi- 
nent part in the winter window-garden. 
The amateur florist has found out that they 
can be depended on to give greater satisfaction 

156 



OF BULBS 



than any other class of flowers adapted to win- 
dow culture, if properly treated. 

The term " proper treatment," means a great 
deal more than one might think at first reading. 
It means that there is a right way and a wrong 
way to grow bulbs for winter flowering, and 
that success depends upon adopting the right 
way. Failure, either partial or complete, is 
pretty sure to result if we do not follow the 
treatment which experience has proved to be 
the safe and scientific one. 

It is very important that the bulb which we 
intend to force into bloom in winter should be 
treated in such a manner as to imitate, as 
closely as possible, the conditions under which 
it would grow naturally, — that is, if left to 
take care of itself. 

All bulbs have tAvo distinct periods, or 
stages, of growth. One in fall, preparatory to 
spring's work, and the other in spring. The 
fall work consists in the development of roots 
by which the plant is to be supported and nour- 
ished later. The work of spring consists in 
the development of foliage and flowers. To 
imitate successfully the conditions which bring 
about these results, we must give the bulb we 
propose to bring into bloom in the house an 



THE GROWING 



opportunity to develop roots fully before the 
growth of foliage or flowers begins. If we 
pot it and place it in the window at once, heat 
and light, combined with the effect of moisture 
in the soil, will excite it to such an extent that 
it makes an eiFort to develop both roots and top 
at the same time. In other words, top-growth 
will begin before there are roots to support it 
properly, and the result will be anything but 
satisfactory. 

But if we pot the bulb and put it away in 
some cool, dark, quiet place for a time, it will 
form roots, while that part of it from which 
leaves and flowers are to be produced later re- 
mains dormant. In this way we imitate the 
processes of nature, and prepare the plant for 
the work demanded of it at a later period; we 
ask it to do but one thing at a time. By fol- 
lowing out this plan we may have just as fine 
flowers from the bulbs we grow in the house 
in winter as we have from those in the garden 
in spring. 

The soil for bulbs grown in pots should be a 
rich, mellow one, made up of garden loam, 
sand, and old cow-manure in equal parts. 
Work it over until you have a mass of fine 
material. Prepare it before the time comes to 

158 



OF BULBS 



pot your bulbs, so that there need be no delay 
in plantmg them on their arrival. It is quite 
important that all bulbs should go into the 
ground as soon as possible after they are re- 
ceived, as the moisture which they contain 
evaporates rapidly, and with it goes much of 
their vitality. Leave them exposed to air and 
light for two or three weeks, and they will be 
so weakened that the flowers they produce will 
be few and inferior. 

It is not necessary to give most bulbs in- 
tended for winter flowering the deep planting 
advised for those in the garden, as they will 
not be subject to the disturbing conditions 
which the latter must contend with. Simply 
press them down their depth in the soil; that 
will be sufficient. Do this when the soil is light 
and dry, then water them well to settle the 
earth about them, and they are ready to put 
away in the place where they are to be left until 
they have formed roots. If you have a cellar, 
put them there, darkening the windows in such 
a manner as to keep out all the light possible. 
The exclusion of light is important, because it 
excites the plant to make an effort towards the 
production of leaves and flowers before it is in 
a condition to do this satisfactorily. Heat also 

159 



THE GROWING 



does this, therefore a cool place is quite neces- 
sary for plants which are expected to develop 
roots before other growth takes place. If you 
have no cellar, an old shed or a closet will 
answer quite well, provided the conditions 
spoken of can be secured. 

Some persons advise sinking the pots con- 
taining bulbs in trenches in the garden. I do 
not favor this plan, because it involves a good 
deal of labor by which I cannot see that any- 
thing is gained. I used to suppose it was 
really necessaiy to follow this plan, because 
nearly all writers on this subject advised it, but 
after trying the easier one outlined above and 
finding that it brought about results quite as 
satisfactory as the old method, I abandoned 
the feature of out-door storage, and I advise 
others to do so. There is onty one argument 
in favor of the latter, and that is that plants 
stored out-of-doors can be kept dormant for a 
longer time than those placed where the cold 
is less intense. This argument, however, is 
not a weighty one, since experience has proved 
that by leaving house- or cellar-stored bulbs in 
the dark imtil we see fit to bring them to the 
light, we can, to a great extent, regulate the 
period of flowering to suit our wishes. 

160 



OF BULBS 



If bulbs are watered well at the time of pot- 
ting, it will not be necessary, as a general thing, 
to apply water for a month or more. None 
should be given unless absolutely needed. Ex- 
amine the pots occasionally to ascertain the 
condition of the soil. If it is found to be dry, 
give just enough water to impart an even mois- 
ture to all the soil in the pot. As evaporation 
takes place slowly in a cool, dark place, a small 
amount of water will be found sufficient to 
supply all the requirements of the bulbs for 
some time. 

Ittf !»tf ^ 

IN potting bulbs the best results are secured 
by jDutting several in the same pot. Four 
Hyacinths or Tulips or Daffodils in a seven- 
inch pot will give a much finer effect than the 
same number of bulbs potted singly. 

Roman Hyacinths are most effective when 
grown in shallow pans. Three or four dozen 
bulbs can be planted in a pan eighteen inches 
across, — indeed, the bulbs can touch each other, 
— and their flowers will be quite as fine as those 
from bulbs given more room. A well-grown 
pan of these charming flowers will be a mass 
of fohage and flowers that will afford vastly 

11 161 



THE GROWING 



more pleasure than a row of j^lants in small 
pots ranged along the window-sill. 

I find the single varieties of the Holland 
Hyacinth much more satisfactory than the 
double ones. They seldom disappoint us, and 
this cannot be said of the double sorts. Single 
Tulips, also, are preferable to double ones for 
winter flowering. 

Every collection of bulbs should include the 
Daffodil. I would choose it in preference to 
the Bermuda Lily if I could have but one. 
Nothing can be richer than the great golden 
flowers of the large-flowering varieties, and 
nothing can be more charming than the bright, 
cheerful blossoms of the smaller varieties in 
their various shades of yellow, cream, and 
ivory. 

Everybody admires the Lily, and no collec- 
tion of winter-flowering bulbs is what it ought 
to be without it. There is but one variety 
adapted to culture by the amateur, and that 
is the kind imported from Bermuda (cata- 
logued as the " Bermuda Lily, or Lilium Har- 
risii), but more generally known as the Easter 
Lily, because it is forced so extensively for use 
at tlie Easter season. One might suppose, on 
"first seeing it in its stately and immaculate 



162 



OF BULBS 



beauty, that such a superb flower would be 
difficult to grow, but such is not the case. If 
one can procure good bulbs, the percentage of 
failure is less with this bulb than with any 
other except the Roman Hyacinth. Of late 
years imported bulbs have been somewhat dis- 
eased, and many plants have either produced 
inferior flowers or refused to bloom, but the 
florists have taken great precautions to pre- 
vent the spread of this disease, and it is now 
possible to get bulbs which are sound and 
healthy. In procuring them, always buy of 
some dealer who has established a reputation 
for handling only the best stock. Get the large 
bulbs in preference to the small ones, for they 
will give from four to eight flowers generally, 
while the small ones will seldom have more 
than two. The flowers of the small bulbs, 
however, will be quite as perfect and often as 
large as those of the large bulbs. If you select 
them personally, take those which feel solid and 
are heavy in the hand. Loose, flabby bulbs are 
the ones to expect failure from. 

In potting this Lily one must follow a 
method quite unlike that advised for other 
bulbs. These Lilies produce two sets of roots. 
One set springs from the base of the bulb, and 

163 



THE GROWING OF BULBS 

it furnishes nutriment for the healthy develop- 
ment of the plant. The other set is thrown off 
from the stalk which is sent up from the bulb, 
and its principal office seems to be that of pro- 
viding a support for this stalk. In order to 
give the stalk-roots a chance at the soil, it is 
necessary to set the bulb low in the pot. I 
would advise the use of from eight- to ten-inch 
pots, three bulbs to a pot. Fill the pot nearly 
half full of soil, and press the bulbs down into 
it. As soon as the stalk appears and length- 
ens, fill in about it from time to time with soil, 
and keep on doing this until the pot is full. If 
this is done, the roots sent out from the stalk 
will generally furnish all the support the plant 
needs. Stakes are unsightly, and should be 
dispensed with if possible. In putting this 
bulb in cold storage, give it a place free from 
frost, as it is injured by freezing. 




THE WINTER 
WINDOW-GARDEN 



And the hyacinth purple, and white, and bhie 
Which flung from its bells a sweet peal anew 
Of music so delicate, soft, and intense, 
It was felt like an odour within the sense. 

Siiellet: The Sensitive Plant. 

The beauteous pansies rise 

In purple, gold, and blue, 

With tints of rainbow hue 
Mocking the sunset skies. 

Thos. J. Ouselet: The Angel of the Flowers. 




Announced by all tlie trumpets of the sky, 
Arrives the snow, and, driving o'er the fields. 
Seems nowhere to alight: the whited air 
Hides hills and woods, the river, and the heaven. 
And veils the farmhouse at the garden's end. 
The sled and traveller stopped, the courier's feet 
Delayed, all friends shut out, the housemates sit 
Around the radiant fireplace, enclosed 
In a tumultuous privacy of storm. 

Emekson: The Snowstorm. 



THE WINTER 
WINDOW- GARDEN 




HE window-garden in winter 
is often a failure, so far as 
flowers are concerned. While 
there is always a great deal of 
beauty in "the green things 
growing," most persons are 
disappointed if there is not the 
brightness and cheer of bloom to relieve the 
monotony of the white world outside, and re- 
mind us of the last summer's beauty, or hint to 
us of the summer that is coming. This failure 
generally results from mistakes made in the 
selection of the plants with which we fill our 
windows. There are many kinds adapted to 
window culture which cannot be coaxed into 
bloom at this season of the year, and there are 
many kinds which would bloom in winter had 
they received the proper treatment to fit them 
for winter use. But because this treatment 
was not given at the right time they are worth- 
less for the purposes of the person who loves 
flowers and would like to have her windows full 

167 



THE WINTER 



of them from January to May. It will be 
readily understood from this that the success 
of a window-garden from which we expect 
blossoms depends very largely on the kinds and 
the condition of the plants we select to fill it. 

It is true that the list of really good winter- 
flowering plants adapted to culture in the 
living-room is not a large one, but it is also 
true that there are enough of these to afford 
considerable latitude in the way of a choice. 
We need not duplicate our neighbors' gardens 
in furnishing our own if we know enough 
about plants to make an intelligent selection. 
But many amateur window-gardeners are not 
sufliciently familiar with plants to make such 
selection, and they must depend on the advice 
of others who have had experience along this 
line. It is with the hope that this paper may 
be of benefit to such persons that I have under- 
taken its preparation. 

«^ e^ eJ* 

ALL things considered, the Geranium is 
our best plant for winter flowering. It 
blooms freely and constantly, in most in- 
stances, and adapts itself to the conditions 
prevailing in the ordinary living-room more 

168 



WINDOW-GARDEN 



readily than almost any other plant I have 
knowledge of. And it requires very little 
care. Its ability to take care of itself is 
one of the strong arguments in its favor, 
especially with the amateur who is distrust- 
ful of his skill in the management of plants 
that insist on having their peculiarities 
humored. It has little to boast of in the 
way of attractive foliage, — though a plant 
well set with vigorous, healthy foliage is far 
from being unhandsome, — but it has a right to 
pride itself on the beauty of its flowers. Some 
of the scarlet varieties are so exceedingly bril- 
liant that they actually seem to impart a feel- 
ing of warmth to the observer. The little child 
who declared that auntie's Geraniums were 
"on fire" was conscious of this suggestion of 
heat in the intensity of color which character- 
izes some of the most richly colored sorts. 
Others are extremely delicate in color and tint. 
Some are pure white. All the recently intro- 
duced varieties have large, wide-petalled flow- 
ers, borne in trusses of good size, on long 
stalks. A well-developed plant, symmetrical 
in shape and properly furnished with foliage 
to serve as a background against which to dis- 
play its blossoms effectively, is a magnificent 

169 



THE WINTER 



sight when in full bloom, notwitlistanding the 
fact that some persons sneer at the Geranium 
as being " common." 

■ All beauty is common in a sense, and I would 
as soon object to the sky and the sunshine be- 
cause the beauty of them is for the enjoyment 
of everybody, therefore "common," as to seek 
to disparage a flower because it was one that 
everybody could grow and enjoy. Anyone 
can undertake the culture of the Geranium 
with reasonable certainty of success who can 
give it a good soil to grow in, water enough to 
keep it ahvays moist at the roots, a sunny loca- 
tion, and freedom from frost. Insects seldom 
attack it. It has a healthy constitution that 
gives it immunity from the disease so common 
to most other plants, and it will reward you for 
the care it receives at your hands by making 
your window bright with bloom as few other 
plants can. Therefore you make no mistake 
in selecting it for your window-garden. But 
be sure to get plants that have not been allowed 
to bloom during the summer. Such plants 
have exhausted themselves, and, nine times out 
of ten, the}^ will insist on taking a rest during 
the winter months. The ideal Geranium for 
winter use is the plant which has been kept 

170 



WINDOW-GARDEN 



steadily growing during siininicr, but has had 
every bud removed as soon as seen. Such a 
plant will bloom profusely from January to 
June. 

The Abutilon is an excellent winter bloomer. 
It has the twofold merit of having fine foliage 
and pretty flowers. It is commonly known as 
Flowering Maple, because of the striking re- 
semblance of the foliage of most varieties to 
that of our native Sugar Maple. It is some- 
times known as Bell Flower, because of the 
shape of its pendent blossoms. It can hardly 
be called a profuse bloomer, but it is a constant 
one. In color it ranges from pure white to 
dark crimson, scarlet, pink, and yellow. It is 
of comparatively rapid growth, and small 
plants soon become good-sized specimens. Its 
habit of growth is upright, and by judicious 
training it can be grown as a miniature tree 
that will always attract attention and challenge 
admiration, with its wealth of bright, glossy 
foliage, beneath which its bell-shaped flowers 
swing gracefidly on their long, slender stems. 
Like the Geranium, it is almost entirely free 
from insects. This is a feature that will rec- 
ommend it to those who have had to fight for 
the life of their plants against aphis, scale, 

171 



THE WINTER 



mealy-bug, and red spider. Any plant strong 
and sturd}^ enough to take care of itself in this 
respect will commend itself to the woman who 
has had experience with insect enemies. 



AMONG the flowering Begonias we have 
several varieties admirably adapted to 
winter use. The best of the list, in some 
respects, is Begonia Rubra, with bright, coral- 
red flowers and luxuriant, dark-green foliage. I 
know of few plants that bloom more profusely 
and persistently. I have had plants of this 
variety that were not without flowers for periods 
of two and three years. They were out of blos- 
som only when they were cut back and com- 
pelled to renew themselves by a vigorous devel- 
opment of new branches. The double-flow- 
ered kinds of recent introduction are very free 
bloomers, and their great clusters of carmine 
flowers show to superb efl'ect against the rich, 
glossy green of their foliage. Gloire de Lor- 
raine is another most charming variety. Small 
plants will be literally covered with flowers 
for many months. These flowers, which are of 
a bright rose color, are borne in wide-spreading 
panicles that droop over the pot and give 

172 



WINDOW-GARDEN 



the effect of having been trained to grow in 
pendent form, but it is the profusion of bloom 
that causes them to droop. This variety is far 
more floriferous than any other I have ever 
grown, and no well-regulated window-garden 
can afford to be without at least one specimen 
of it. Young, vigorous plants are now offered 
for sale each fall by nearly all florists, and 
these are the plants to depend upon for winter 
bloom. I would not advise the amateur to 
attempt growing this variety from cuttings, 
because he will fail ninety-nine times out of a 
hundred. But he may feel reasonably sure of 
success with plants grown to flowering size by 
florists who have a knowledge of the plant's 
requirements in the earlier stages of its devel- 
opment. 

The Heliotrope is one of our most neglected 
flowers. But it always comes in for a great 
deal of admiration when well grown, and it can 
be grown very satisfactorily with but httle 
trouble. It should be given a soil full of 
fibrous matter, with a good deal of sharp, 
coarse sand worked into it — enough to make it 
so friable that a handful of it, after being 
squeezed together, will fall apart readily when 
pressure is relaxed. It should also be given 

173 



THE WINTER 



considerable root room. It will not grow or 
bloom when pot-bound. It should have a 
sunny place, and at no time should it be allowed 
to get dry at its roots. If it does, the i^lant 
will shortly shed its foliage. It has a multi- 
tude of thread-like roots which take up water 
rapidly, therefore it will be necessary to water 
it much of tener than you do such plants as the 
Geranium, which have but few roots, and these 
rather large ones. Kept moist at all times, 
and given plenty of sun, it will delight you with 
its clusters of deliciously fragrant flowers, 
ranging in color from nearly white to pale 
blue and dark purple. Cutting the flowers 
does this plant good, for whenever you clip off 
a cluster of bloom new branches immediately 
start on the stalk below, and these in a short 
time will bear flowers. By frequent pruning 
you can keep the plant growing throughout 
the entire season, and as long as it grows it will 
bloom if proper treatment is given in the man- 
ner already spoken of. It is a good plan to 
feed a spoonful of bone-meal once a month to 
each plant in an eight- or nine-inch pot. 

The impression prevails to a surprising ex- 

.tent that the ordinary Fuchsia is a winter 

bloomer. Not one person in twenty growing 

. 171 



WINDOW -GARDEN 



it in the winter window-garden succeeds in 
coaxing a flower from it between January and 
April, but this failure does not enlighten them 
as to the true nature of the plant. The fact is 
that, with one or two exceptions, the Fuchsia is 
strictly a summer-flowering plant. It ex- 
hausts itself in summer and insists on resting 
in winter. This being the case, the best place 
for it, after completing the work of the season, 
is the cellar, and there it should be left until 
March, when it can be brought up and got into 
condition for another summer's work. But 
there are two or three varieties which bloom 
well in winter if not allowed to bloom in sum- 
mer, and the best one of these is speciosa. 
This is, when properly managed, a most satis- 
factory winter-flowering plant. It is not as 
showy as many other varieties, but it has 
enough real beauty to recommend it to the 
attention of the lover of fine flowers. It is 
single. It has pinkish-white sepals and a 
bright carmine corolla. Its flowers are pro- 
duced in great quantities at the extremity of 
the branches. Thej^ are pendent in habit and 
extremely graceful. Give the plant a light, 
porous soil, keep it well watered, and shower 
its foliage two or three times a week to prevent 

]7o 



THE WINTER 



the red spider from doing it harm. Keep it 
away from strong sunshine. An east window 
suits it much better than a southern one. An 
east window, by the way, is an ideal one for Be- 
gonias. 

•^ e^ e^ 

PRIMULA OBCONICA Iconsideroneof 
our most desirable winter-flowering plants, 
because it requires very little care, and gives 
such a wealth of bloom in return for the 
slight attention bestowed upon it. About 
all it asks is plenty of water. We do not 
have to fight insects on it. We do not have 
to be particular as to the temperature of the 
room it grows in, providing we keep it above 
the frost point. It seems utterly unmind- 
ful of the fluctuation of the living-room 
thermometer. Its flowers are sometimes al- 
most white, but with a tint of rose or lavender 
showing in them, at other times decidedly pink. 
This is not the result of exposure to light, but 
is a peculiarity of the plant. The blossoms are 
always charming, with a wildwoodsy air that 
suggests Hepaticas, TriUiums, and Spring 
Beauties. The individual flower is about the 
size of a silver quarter, but there will almost 

176 



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PRIMULA — AN EFFECTIVE PLANT 



WINDOW-GARDEN 



always be from a dozen to twenty blossoms in 
each cluster at one time, and there will gen- 
erally be several of these clusters from each 
plant, so the effect is a showy one. The foliage 
of the plant is produced in a thick mass, at the 
surface of the soil, and the flowers are thrown 
well above it on stalks six to eight inches long. 
This plant, like the Heliotrope, has a great 
mass of very fine roots, therefore it requires a 
great deal more water than the ordinary plant. 
A near relative of Primula obconica is Pri- 
mula Forbesii, better known as the "Baby 
Primrose," because of the dainty character of 
its diminutive flowers. This is a most charm- 
ing plant, — a lovable plant, in fact, — and those 
who grow it one season will never willingly be 
without it thereafter, I venture to prophesy. 
It blooms all the time, — it would bloom the 
year round if we would let it, — and there are so 
many of its tiny flowers that we forget all 
about size in the consideration of quantity. 
Each plant is made up of several " crowns," or 
divisions, and each division generally has one 
or more flower-stalks in evidence. The flow- 
ers are produced in successive whorls on these 
slender stalks, and are of a rosy lilac color with 
a greenish-yellow eye. Water well. 

12 177 



THE WINTER 



The good old Chinese Primrose deserves a 
place in all collections. It is one of the 
"stand-bys," blooming constantly and freely. 
It ranges in color from pure white to red, car- 
mine, cherry, and violet. It requires only 
ordinary care, so far as soil and general atten- 
tion is concerned, but you must be sure to pot 
it "high" — that is, to see that the crown of 
the plant is so far above the soil that water will 
not collect and stand about it. If water does 
collect there, decay almost invariably sets in, 
and that means the death of the plant in a short 
time. This plant does well in comparative 
shade, as does Primula obconica and the Baby 
Primrose. They are therefore well adapted to 
places which the larger plants in the window 
keep the sun from. 

The scarlet Salvia is fine for winter use if 
showered so frequently that the red spider can- 
not establish itself on it. I would advise tak- 
ing a shoot from an old plant in the garden, 
just before frost comes. There will be plenty 
of these shoots, as a general thing, that can be 
separated from the parent plant in such a man- 
ner as to secure some good, strong roots with 
them. Pot them in a moderatel}^ rich soil. 
They will make rapid growth as soon as they 

178 



WINDOW-GARDEN 



become well established. Pinch them back 
from time to time to secure a bushy, compact 
develoj)ment. By January you ought to have 
a good-sized plant, with many flowering points. 
When it puts forth its spikes of intensely vivid 
scarlet flowers you will find it a rival of the 
most brilliant Geranium, and those who have 
tired somewhat of the latter will consider it 
preferable in all respects, perhaps. Shower it 
all over at least twice a week, — once a day 
would be better, — and head off the red spider 
in this way. But neglect the shower-bath for 
a few days and you will find many j^ellowing 
leaves on the plant, and examination of the 
underside of them will show that the enemy 
has taken advantage of your negligence and 
established himself most thoroughly. It is 
much easier to keep him away altogether, by 
the liberal use of water from the beginning, 
than it is to get rid of him after he has obtained 
a foothold on the plant. 

The common single Petunia is a very satis- 
factory winter bloomer. You can always find 
plenty of good, strong seedlings in the bed in 
fall. Pot one of these, and it will soon develop 
into a fine specimen. It will begin to bloom 
when quite small, improving in all ways as it 

179 



THE WINTER 



increases in size. A vigorous plant will often 
have as many as a hundred flowers on it at 
one time. After a while it is well to cut the 
old branches back within a few inches of the 
pot. Give the soil a spoonful of bone-meal 
when you do this, and in a short time new 
branches will put forth, and soon you will have 
a plant which has entirely renewed itself and 
begun to bloom again. Do not make the mis- 
take of selecting double Petunias for winter 
use. They almost invariably fail to perfect 
their flowers in the living-room. If you have a 
particularly fine single variety which you 
would like to carry through the winter, root a 
cutting of it in sand, or take up the old plant, 
cutting it back to a mere stub at the time of 
potting. You will have to do one or the other 
of these things in order to make sure of getting 
what you want, as we cannot depend on seed- 
lings coming "true," as the florists say — ^that 
is, reproducing the exact characteristics of the 
parent plant. Petunias are admirably adapted 
for growing on brackets if their branches are 
allowed to droop over the pot and train them- 
selves. They are more graceful when grown 
in this way, in the house, than when trained 
over a trellis, or tied to stiff supports. 

180 



WINDOW-GARDEN 



BROWALLIA MAJOR is a compara- 
tively new plant. It is of extremely easy 
culture. Those who are fond of blue flowers 
will prize it highly, as it is of a shade extremely 
rare among house plants. It begins to bloom 
when quite small, but it is not until it grows to 
some size that it is at its best. It is grown from 
seed or cuttings. This, like the Petunia, is a 
fine bracket plant if allowed to train itself. It 
is also very effective as a basket plant. 

Another garden plant that can be strongly 
recommended for the winter window-garden is 
the Ageratum. Old plants which have done 
summer dut}- can be divided in late autumn, 
and each division will speedily develop into a 
fine plant from which j^ou can expect flowers 
throughout the entire winter. The Ageratum 
is always a favorite with the lover of dainty 
flowers because of its exquisitely delicate laven- 
der-blue color. 

Another excellent but little grown flower is 
Plumbago capensis. This is nearly of the 
same soft, beautiful color as the Ageratum, but 
here all resemblance between the two ends. 
The Plumbago frequently grows to be six and 
eight feet tall, and can be trained about a large 
window with charming efl'ect. Its flowers are 

181 



THE WINTER 



shaped like those of the annual Phlox, but are 
borne in loose spikes at the tip of the new 
branches. To keep it blooming, cut back the 
old growth now and then and feed the plant 
well to encourage constant development. As 
long as it grows it will bloom. It is to be won- 
dered at that a plant of so much beauty is so 
little cultivated. The impression probably 
prevails that it is not an easy plant to manage, 
but such is not the case. 

Ten-week Stock— the "Gillyflower" of our 
grandmothers — is another garden flower that 
can be made good use of in the house in winter. 
Take up the smallest of your plants just before 
cold weather comes. Cut away most of the 
top, leaving about eight inches of the main 
stalks, with stubs of branches. Pot it in ordin- 
ary garden loam, water it well, and put it in a 
shady place until it becomes established in its 
new quarters and shows signs of growth. 
Then remove to a light but cool place. For 
rooms where there is no fire heat, but are frost- 
proof, it is one of the best plants we can select, 
as it will bloom constantly and profusely. Its 
flowers, which are very lasting in quality, are 
borne in spikes six or eight inches long. They 
come in red, mauve, lilac, pale yellow, and pure 

182 



WINDOW-GARDEN 



white. Their fragrance closely resembles that 
of the Carnation. 

The Marguerite Carnation as a garden 
flower is a comparative failure, because it sel- 
dom comes into full bloom before cold weather 
puts an end to it. But if plants having double 
flowers of fine color are potted in late October 
they will continue to bloom throughout the 
winter in the window-garden and give nearly 
as much satisfaction as the greenhouse varie- 
ties of Carnation. Their flowers are smaller, 
as a general thing, than those of the green- 
house sorts, but frequently they are quite as 
double and nearly always as fragrant, and they 
have the merit of seldom splitting the calyx. 
Care must be taken to shower the plant fre- 
quently and liberally, as the red spider delights 
to work on it in a dry atmosphere. This Car- 
nation likes a cool room, and can be grown 
with Ten-week Stock in windows some dis- 
tance from the living-room fire. Try a few 
plants of it this season and you will be sure to 
include it in your list in future. It will give 
you a dozen blossoms where you would get one 
from the greenhouse sorts. 

The Azalea is a favorite plant for winter- 
flowering, and its popularity is richly deserved. 

183 



THE WINTER 



Well-grown specimens will be literally covered 
with flowers of most lovely shades of red, rose, 
cherry, and pure white, some single, some 
double — all beautiful. They last for weeks if 
kept in a cool temperature. The room that 
suits the Ten-week Stock and the Marguerite 
Carnation will suit this plant perfectly, there- 
fore the three make a fine combination for 
cool but sunny windows. 

t3* Jr' »^ 

NO winter window-garden collection can 
be considered complete nowadays if it 
does not include such bulbs as the Holland and 
Roman Hyacinths, Lilium Harrisii, and sev- 
eral varieties of Narcissus. These can be potted 
in October and November, put away in a dark, 
cool place to form roots, and left there until the 
first of January or later. Bring them out when 
the top has begun to push up, and they will soon 
make vigorous growth under the combined in- 
fluence of warmth and light. Plants potted in 
the months named ought to come into bloom 
in February. 

It must not be understood by the reader that 
because I do not extend the list I have made 

184 



WINDOW-GARDEN 



mention of all kinds of plants which I consider 
desirable for winter use where flowers are de- 
manded. But I have named those I consider 
most likely to afford satisfaction to the ama- 
teur. There are many kinds which the ex- 
perienced gardener can coax into bloom which 
the amateur would fail utterly with, and these 
I do not think it worth while to say anything 
about in this connection. 

There are many plants having fine foliage 
which can be grown to excellent advantage 
with flowering ones. Their leaves will admira- 
bly supplement the beauty of the blossoms, 
and there may be times when they will have 
to be depended on to make the window-garden 
attractive. I would advise including several 
plants of the ^ladame Salleroi Geranium, with 
its green and white foliage. Begonias argentea 
guttata, olive and dull red, with silvery-white 
spots, and maculata aurea, gold-spotted and 
blotched on a dark green mound, and antheri- 
cum variegatum, a plant having grass-like 
foliage of pale green striped with pure white. 
These are all easily grown. Their foliage is 
almost as attractive as flowers, and they will 
do much to brighten up the window-garden 
when there are few flowers in it. 

185 



THE WINTER 



BEFORE closing this paper it may be well 
to give a few general directions about- the 
care of plants grown for winter flowering. In 
late fall we seldom have much sunshine, and 
evaporation of moisture from the soil will be 
slow. Our plants at this season will, for the 
most part, be making very little growth, and 
a plant not growing actively is not in a condi- 
tion to need much water. Therefore we must 
be careful to give only enough to keep the soil 
moderately moist. It should never be wet. 
If we were to water freely at this time, a sour- 
ing of the soil would most likely take place, 
and this would result in a diseased condition 
of the roots, from which the plant might not 
recover. As soon as sunny weather sets in and 
the plants begin to make a vigorous growth 
the supply of water can be increased. Let the 
increase be in proportion to the development 
of the plant. 

Plants not making much growth are in no 
need of a fertilizer, because they are not in a 
condition to assimilate it. The application of 
one at such times will do great harm. Wait 
until they begin to grow, and then apply it. 
Give it in small quantities at fii'st, and increase 
it from time to time as the condition of the 

18G 



W I N D O VV - G A R D E N 



plant warrants. But never give enough to 
bring about a forced growth. Aim always 
and only to secure healthy development. A 
j)lant forced into rapid growth is never a 
healthy one, remember. It will lack the vital- 
ity necessaiy to carry it through the working 
period successfully. 

Give all the fresh air you can. Open doors 
and windows at some distance from your plants 
on pleasant days, and give j^our plants a chance 
to breathe in pure oxygen in liberal quantity. 
Give all the sunshine you can. And aim to 
keep the temperature of the room between 
seventy degrees by day and fifty-five at night. 
It will probably exceed these figures in both 
directions, but try to regulate it in such a way 
as to avoid the extremes of intense heat and 
dangerous cold. 

Use water liberally on the foliage of your 
plants. By washing off the dust, it keeps open 
the pores of the leaves through which they 
breathe, and it tempers the hot, dry atmos- 
phere usually prevailing in the living-room. 
The only way to modify this condition is to 
keep water constantly evaporating on stove or 
register and make frequent use of the sprayer. 



THE HOME GREENHOUSE 




The violets whisper from the shade 
Which their own leaves have made: 
Men scent our fragrance on the air, 
Yet take no heed 

Of humble lessons we would read. 
Christina G. Rossetti: 

" Consider the Lilies of the Field 




In Eastern lands they talk in flowers. 

And they tell in a garland their loves and cares; 

Each blossom that blooms in their garden bowers, 
On its leaves a mystic language bears. 

Peecival: The Language of Flowers. 

Art thou a type of beauty, or of power, 

Of sweet enjoyment, or disastrous sin ? 
For each thy name denoteth. Passion flower! 

O no ! thy pure corolla's depth within 
We trace a holier symbol; yea, a sign 

' Twixt God and man; a record of that hour 
When the expiatory act divine 

Cancelled that curse which was our mortal dower. 
It is the Cross ! 

Sir Aubrey De Verb: The Passion Flower. 



THE HOME GREEN- 
HOUSE •• •.• .• •.• 




O grow flowers to perfection, 
in the winter, one must have 
better facihties than those 
afl'orded by the windows of 
the hving-room. While it is 
true that many kinds may 
be grown comparatively well 
there, it is also true that many very desirable 
kinds cannot be grown there at all, and those 
with w^hich we attain a fair degree of success 
are never grown in anything like perfection. 
One has only to go from the window-garden 
to a greenhouse to find proof of this assertion. 
The plants grown by the florist, who can con- 
trol heat and light and moisture, resemble the 
plants in the window-garden only in general 
features, though investigation may show that 
they are identical as to varietJ^ But the flor- 
ist's plants will have a vigor of leaf and flower 
that those in the window-garden seldom attain 
to. 

The wide diff^erence in appearance does not 

191 



THE HOME 



come from better care, as some suppose, but 
from more favorable conditions. As a general 
thing, the owner of a window-garden lavishes 
more care upon her plants than the profes- 
sional florist does on his. She has to do this 
in order to secure even a moderate degree of 
success. Half that care expended on plants 
grown in quarters more favorable to healthy 
plant development would enable her to grow 
plants quite as well as the professional. How 
she would like to do that! She has tried her 
best to make her plants equal those she has seen 
at flower shows and florists' exhibitions, but her 
efforts have always fallen far short of the suc- 
cess she aimed at. By and by, after years of 
repeated effort, she has come to the conclusion 
that it is impossible to grow such plants as she 
would like to in the sitting-room windows, and 
she feels that she must be content with inferior 
specimens. This is always a source of keen 
regret with the person who grows flowers from 
a love of them, and who, because of that love, 
would delight in seeing them reach that per- 
fection which she knows plants can be brought 
to under right conditions. She is right in her 
conclusion as to the impossibility of achieving 
anything but mediocre success Mdth plants in a 

192 



GREENHOUSE 



room where the atmosphere has very Httle, if 
any, moisture in it, and where the temjierature 
is away up in the nineties at one time, and 
down dangerously near the freezing-point a 
few hours later. Here tlie red spider and the 
aphis will flourish and do their best — or their 
worst — to complete the work begun by mois- 
tureless air and a temperature which goes to 
extremes, combined with lack of sufficient 
light. Onlj^ when one has a place made ex- 
pressly for plants, where all the conditions of 
heat, moisture, and light are under control, can 
a satisfactory measure of success in their cul- 
ture be attained. 

The idea prevails that a greenhouse is, and 
must be, an expensive luxuiy. That it is a 
luxury we admit, but it is not an expensive 
one, neither is it one of those luxuries which 
come under the head of foolish extravagances 
on which money is, to all intents and purposes, 
thrown away. Flowers are like books and 
pictures and music to those who love and 
understand them. They do much in refining 
and uplifting and developing our better 
natures, and soon become as much necessities, 
if we give them a chance, as the books and 
music cultivated people cannot well get along 

13 193 



THE HOME 



without. They should be classed among the 
necessary luxuries of life. 

<o >o 'O 

THE primary idea of a greenhouse is 
simply a building or room where summer 
can be kept prisoner over winter. It need 
not be elaborate in any sense. The plainest 
structure that is built sufficiently snug to 
keep heat in and cold out, and affords free 
entrance to light and sunshine, will grow 
plants just as well as the most ornate 
building, — better, perhaps, for many green- 
houses defeat some of the objects aimed 
at in their construction by excess of orna- 
ment, which interferes with light and ease of 
management, I know of one amateur's green- 
house which is really nothing more than a 
shed whose board roof has been removed and 
one of glass substituted, but this plain little 
building has in it plants which would do credit to 
the most elaborate conservatory equipped with 
every modern convenience. The owner of this 
cheap building picked up here and there some 
of the material from which he constructed it, 
buying it as he could afford to do so, and 
storing it away until he had enough to warrant 

194 



GREENHOUSE 



him in beginning his house. He built it him- 
self, working " between-whiles." It is not 
ornamental from without, but those who go 
into it forget all about the building in their 
admiration for the beautiful plants it con- 
tains. You could not make its owner believe 
that the money that went into the house could 
have been invested in any other way that would 
have "paid" half so well. No dividends of 
dollars and cents have been declared in his 
investment, but he has realized as much pleas- 
ure from it as, I presume, his millions have ever 
afforded Andrew Carnegie. 

The home greenhouse can be built as cheaply 
as any other part of the dwelling, and with as 
little trouble, if the person who has supervision 
of the job understands what is necessary to do. 
Before beginning the work a plan should be 
prepared, and this should be gone over with 
the carpenter and care taken to see that he 
understands it in all its details. This is import- 
ant. If the builder does not fully understand 
the work he is to undertake, and you cannot 
clearly explain it to him, let him visit some 
greenhouse and get ideas from it to help him 
out. 

In making your plans, consider, first of all, 

195 



THE HOME 



the location of the building. Sunshine must be 
secured in order to make a success of plant- 
growing, and your building must have a loca- 
tion where it will not be much shaded by other 
buildings. If it is on the south side of the 
house, and can have sunshine from early morn- 
ing until two or three o'clock, it will not matter 
if there are buildings to the west of it which 
shut off the later sunshine. The sunshine 
needed most is that of the forenoon and niid- 
day. A house which only gets the benefit of 
sunshine up to noon will enable one to grow 
such plants as begonias, fuchsias, ferns, palms, 
and many others as well, but geraniums, helio- 
tropes, and others fond of a great deal of sun- 
shine will need more than a short forenoon 
affords. A western exposure is not satisfac- 
tory because of the intense heat which charac- 
terizes afternoon sunshine. All things con- 
sidered, an even-span house — which means a 
house having a roof of equal size on each side 
— running north and south will be most satis- 
factory, but a "lean-to" sloping to the south 
or southeast will answer almost as well. 

It has been customary among professional 
florists to construct a frame by setting posts in 
the ground, precisely as fence-posts are set, and 

19(i 



GREENHOUSE 



boarding these up to form the side-walls of the 
greenhouse. In boarding them matched lum- 
ber is used, outside and in, with sheathing 
paper between each thickness of boards. A 
very good wall is secured in this way, but it is 
never as " true " as it ought to be, because of the 
difficulties of getting the posts strictly in line. 
Nor is it as lasting in its character as it ought 
to be for a greenhouse attached to the dwelling. 
This part of the house ought to be built as 
solidly and substantially as any other portion 
of it, because, once built, and built well, it is 
good for a long term of years, while a cheaply 
built affair will soon begin to go to pieces. It 
pays to build the greenhouse on a foundation 
of stone let into the ground deep enough to go 
below the frost-line. If this is done, there will 
be no heaving, with consequent loss of glass 
and other annoyances resulting from unstable 
foundation. Posts soon begin to rot below 
the soil, and this is the beginning of the end 
with a house built on such a framework. But 
a house built on a stone wall is never subject to 
decay, except from internal moisture, and that 
can be largely avoided if plenty of paint is 
used. Erect your frame on the wall precisely 
as you would the frame of any other part of 

197 



THE HOME 



the house, subject, of course, to the modifica- 
tions of your plan. 

I might outhne a plan here, but as the condi- 
tions vary so greatly under which small home 
greenhouses are likely to be built, I hardly 
think it advisable to do so. I would simply 
say, have as little woodwork about the house as 
possible. The side and end walls, to the height 
of three feet from the ground, may be boarded 
up outside and in, but above that height by all 
means have sash. In other words, let all that 
part of the house above this three feet of board- 
ed wall be composed of glass as far as possible. 
Of course, there will have to be studding to 
support the roof and to fasten the sash-frames 
to, but no boarding anywhere above this wall. 
A little study of the plan on which modern 
greenhouses are built will enable any carpenter 
to get the idea more clearly than I can put it 
into words. The principal things to keep in 
mind are these : To so construct the house that 
the least possible obstruction will be afforded 
against the entrance of light, and to make 
it so snug that there are no cracks and crevices 
through which sharp winds and frost can gain 
admission. In making the roof, be sure to use 
the light sash-bar now so popular. Heavy 

198 



GREENHOUSE 



rafters, which are no longer used, cost much 
more than these bars, interfere greatly with the 
admission of sunshine, and add nothing to the 
strength of the roof. If sash-bars ten 
to twelve feet long are given the support of 
one one-inch pipe, running lengthwise of the 
house, no other support will be needed by the 
roof. This pipe should, of course, rest on 
upright piping set about eight feet apart, to 
prevent it from sagging under the weight of 
the glass of the roof. To-day the frame-work 
of the best greenhouses is composed largely of 
iron piping which fits together with screw joints. 
This gives a rigid but light and airy-looking 
frame, and one that oif ers but little resistance 
to the entrance of light. The up-to-date car- 
penter will be able to apply the suggestions 
made to the house he builds in such a manner as 
to make it effective and satisfactory without 
the expenditure of much money. 

<^ "O ^ 

DECIDE the size of the house you want, 
and then let him draw plans for it and 
make an estimate of probable cost. First- 
quality lumber will not be required for board- 
ing if sheathing-paper is used liberally, 

199 



THE HOME 



as it should be, for it is a most efficient pro- 
tection against cold. 1 would advise board- 
ing up the walls, outside and in, with cheap 
lumber, then covering it with two thicknesses 
of paper. I would finish the inside wall with 
matched ceiling lumber, running up and 
down, that the grooves may assist in carry- 
ing off water instead of retaining it, as they 
would if the boards ran lengthwise. Outside, 
I would finish the walls with what is called 
" ship-lap." This makes a snug joint which will 
not open if the lumber shrinks, and affords 
ample security against the admission of rain 
and wind. The air-space between the outer 
and inner boarding is a most efficient non- 
conductor of cold. By the exercise of a little 
extra care in the construction of such a wall 
it may be made practically air-tight. There is 
economy in building well, in the long run, for a 
snug house saves fuel. 

If the sides of the house are five feet high — 
and that is a good height for them — and the 
three lower feet of the wall are boarded as 
advised, there will be left a space of about two 
feet for sash. This sash should ])e hung by 
hinges to the plate, so that it can be swung out- 
ward for ventilation. There should also be 



GREENHOUSE 



sections on each side of the roof so arranged 
that the}^ can he ()|)ened for ventilation. There 
are ventilating a])])liances now on the market 
which so add to the ease of management and 
control of the greenhouse that no one can 
afford to be without them. By simply turning 
a crank attached to a rod and connected with a 
wheel and a set of arms fastened to the sash of 
the ventilators in the roof, those sections are 
opened to suit the need of time or season, and 
a reverse turn of the wheel closes them. The 
lifting-arms are so connected with the rod that 
they are held rigidly in any position where you 
see fit to leave them, consequently there is no 
possible danger of accident from sudden winds. 
A similar apparatus makes it an easy matter to 
open the side ventilators by simply turning a 
crank. The sash-bars advised for the roof are 
so constinicted that when they are fastened in 
l^lace, at ridge and eave, it is an easy matter 
to put the glass where it belongs, and a cap 
which fits snugly over the shoulder of the bar 
and fastens by screws holds it firmly in place 
without brad, tack, or putty. This is a vast 
improvement over tlie old method of glazing 
the roof, and makes it easy to replace broken 
glass. The glass for the roof, let me remark 

201 



THE HOME 



right here, ought always to be what is known 
as " double-strength." Very severe hailstorms 
will not injure it, but roofs glazed with single- 
strength glass are not strong enough to with- 
stand the effects of a slight storm. 

<o '5 "^ 

HOW to heat a greenhouse is one of the 
problems which the builder often finds 
perplexing. Shall he use steam, or hot 
water, or furnace heat, or depend on oil- 
stoves, or warmth from the adjoining rooms? 
If the building is a very small one and it is 
well made, an oil-stove may be sufficient 
to furnish all the heat needed in ordinary 
weather, and a second stove could be held in 
reserve for very cold spells. If the building 
happens to be attached to the dwelling and 
there are wide openings between it and the 
living-room, enough heat will generally be 
admitted to keep out frost. But it is not 
safe to depend on such a method of heating 
unless the plant-room is very small indeed. 
Furnace heat can be supplied from the cellar 
or basement if the dwelling is heated in that 
manner, but I consider this the poorest of all 
heat for a greenhouse. Steam heat is perhaps 

202 



GREENHOUSE 



cheaper than any other for large houses, but 
the ideal heat for small ones is that furnished 
by hot water. If the dwelling is heated by this 
system, it is a comparatively easy matter to 
extend the ]3iping to the greenhouse. If there 
is no way of supplying heat from the house 
system, and the greenhouse is sixteen by 
twenty feet or larger, I would advise the use of 
one of the small hot-water heaters made for 
this particular purpose by several firms who 
deal in greenhouse supplies. These small 
heaters cost about as much as a parlor coal- 
stove, are self-feeding, and can be left to take 
care of themselves at night. They can be de- 
pended on to furnish a sufficient amount of 
heat for the coldest weather if projDerty regu- 
lated. If this system of heat is decided on, — 
and, as I have said, it is an ideal one,^ — cor- 
respondence with the manufacturers of these 
heaters will enable you to determine the size 
of the heater needed to perfectly warm your 
house in the coldest weather. Simply tell them 
the size of it and the amount of glass on roof, 
sides, and end. If you submit a rough dia- 
gram showing size and location, they will will- 
ingly furnish you with a plan for piping it 
without charge. The house heated by hot 

!203 



THE HOME 



water can be kept at almost any desired degree 
of temperature by the adjustment of the drafts 
of the heater. An even, summer-Hke heat is 
furnished in which all kinds of plants flourish. 
Hot -water heat is preferable to steam for small 
houses because of its economy. In the use 
of steam it is necessary to raise the water to a 
certain temperature before any heat is given 
off in the pipes upon which the greenhouse 
depends for warmth ; in other words, the water 
must boil before there is any heat in the pipes. 
To keep up circulation, the fire must be kept 
burning briskly. Let it die down, and your 
heat supply is cut off. 

But with hot-water heating circulation be- 
gins in the pipes as soon as the water becomes 
warm, and it continues as long as there is any 
fu'e. It will readily be seen, therefore, that 
for mild weather hot-water heating is far supe- 
rior to steam heating, while all that one has to 
do to obtain heat enough from it to meet the 
demands of cold weather is to open the drafts 
and bring about more energetic combustion. 
The management of a hot-water heater is so 
simple that a child can soon learn to operate it. 

Quite satisfactory substitutes for a real 
greenhouse can be made by enclosing veran- 

204 



GREENHOUSE 



das with glass, if they open off the Hving-room 
in such a manner that warmth can be admitted 
readily to them. If there is only a window 
or a door between them, I would advise cutting 
away enough of the wall to make the opening 
several times larger than that afforded by the 
removal of these. Glazed doors can be fitted 
to the opening or curtains can be hung there. 
Doors which enable you to shut your plants 
away from the living-room when it seems desir- 
able to do so are preferable to hangings, as they 
make it possible for you to use water so freely 
on your plants that the air about them can be 
kept moister than you would care to have it 
in the living-room, and that is precisely what 
they like. Of course, it is not jiossible to grow 
the variety of plants in such a room that can 
be grown in a real greenhouse, but the condi- 
tions can be made so much more favorable to 
healthy plant growth there than they can ever 
be in the living-room that one's chances of 
success with a wide range of plants are greatly 
increased. Such a plant-room, while in every 
way vastly inferior to a greenhouse, will be 
found so great an improvement on the ordinary 
window-garden that money is well invested in 
making it. 

305 



THE HOME 



The home greenhouse, though small in size, 
enables us to grow decorative plants to a size 
that makes them extremely useful in room 
decoration. The woman who has some good- 
sized Palms, Ficuses, Grevilleas, Aspidistras, 
and other plants of that class is never at the 
mercy of the weather or the florist in preparing 
her rooms for the reception of visitors. The 
material needed is at hand, and she takes great 
pride in it because it is her own. Old plants 
seem like members of the family, and with a 
greenhouse for them to develop in they seldom 
outgrow their quarters. Such is not the case 
with plants growing in the living-room. By 
the time they begin to be most enjoyable they 
are too large for the windows, and we have to 
discard them and begin again with small ones. 
The list of plants that can be grown in the 
greenhouse is a long one, while the list of those 
which can be grown successfully in the living- 
room is a very limited one and includes but 
few of the plants we care most for. 

If you decide on building a greenhouse, do 
not make the mistake of having it too small. 
If you have had only a few plants in the win- 
dow, a room twelve or fourteen feet square will 
seem large enough to you to hold all the plants 

206 



GREENHOUSE 



you will ever care to grow. But I venture the 
prediction that you will wish in a short time 
that the room was as large again. When we 
have conveniences for growing all kinds of 
plants our collections increase rapidly. We 
seldom go away from home without finding 
new plants to bring back with us. The cost 
of a house sixteen by twenty or twenty-four 
feet is not a great deal more than that of one 
twelve by sixteen or thereabouts. The small- 
est size of hot-water heaters is easily equal to 
the task of heating the sixteen by twenty-four 
house, and the extra amount of coal used in 
doing it costs but little. 

If possible, have the greenhouse attached to 
the living-room or the dining-room in such a 
manner that the beauty in it is at all times en- 
joyable by the family. It should be easily 
accessible, that one may get into the habit of 
spending the "odd minutes" there, for there 
will be always work to do among the flowers. 
And delightful work it is — pleasant work, rest- 
ful work — work that you will never tire of. 



THE CULTURE AND THE 
CARE OF PALMS 




Next to thee, O fair gazelle, 

O Beddowee girl, beloved so well; 

Next to the fearless Nedjidee, 

Whose fleetness shall bear me again to thee; 

Next to ye both I love the Palm, 

With his leaves of beauty, his fruit of balm; 

Next to ye both I love the Tree 
Whose fluttering shadow wraps us three 
With love, and silence, and mystery! 

Bayard Taylor: The Arab to the Palm. 




Of threads of palm was the carpet spun 
Whereon he kneels when the day is done, 
And the foreheads of Islam are bowed as one ! 

To him the palm is a gift divine. 
Wherein all uses of man combine, — 
House and raiment and food and wine ! 

And, in the hour of his great release, 
His need of the palm shall only cease 
With the shroud wherein he lieth in peace. 

"Allah il Allah!" he sings his psalm. 
On the Indian Sea, by the isles of balm; 
"Thanks to Allah, who gives the palm!" 

Whittier: The Palm-Tree. 



THE CULTURE AND 
THE CARE OF PALMS 




HE popularity of the Palm is 
well deserved, for it is really 
a beautiful plant if well 
grown. The fatal "if," you 
» see ! There is no avoiding the 
use of it in this connection, be- 
cause it is a sorry fact that 
nine out of every ten plants we see are not well 
grown. Perhaps I would be justified in put- 
ting the proportion at nineteen out of twenty. 
Certain it is that we find very few really fine 
specimens of the Pahn outside the greenhouses. 
The impression prevails to a considerable ex- 
tent among amateurs who have tried to grow 
the plant well and failed that it will live in the 
dwelling-house, but it cannot be made to flour- 
ish there. Such is not the case. It can be 
made to grow most luxuriantly under the con- 
ditions which prevail in the ordinary home pro- 
vided it is given the right kind of treatment. 

The average Palm has few leaves, — the 
older ones having been removed because of 

211 



THE CULTURE AND 

general unsightliiiess, — and these few are 
brown and dry at the tip of each leaflet. 
Healthy color is lacking. The impression that 
the plant gives j^ou is that it would die if it 
could, but it cannot. Because of great inhe- 
rent vitality it keeps on living against its better 
judgment. It feels that it is not a credit to 
itself, and that it poorly plays its part in the 
general decorative scheme, but — it knows that 
the fault is not its ow^n. And the owner of it 
feels equally sure that the fault is not hers. 
She has heard of a great many things that will 
bring about success in the culture of these 
plants, and she has tried them all. Has she not 
bathed the leaves wath oil, as advised? Has 
she not buried pounds of beefsteak at its roots? 
Is there anything in the long list of " desirable 
fertilizers" she has not experimented with? 
And yet her pet plant has not improved. On 
the whole, it has grown more shabby and ini- 
sightly month after month, until she has about 
lost all hope of its ever realizing the ideals 
she has formed when she brought it home from 
the greenliouse. 

The fact is, the Palm is a comparatively slow 
grower under the conditions which exist in the 
ordinary living-room, and we, in our impa- 

212 



THE CARE OF PALMS 

tience to make a large plant of it, subject it to 
a sort of crowding process which brings about 
results directly the opposite of those aimed at. 
Instead of developing the plant, we arrest 
development and make it a sort of dwarf. 
This we do by our mistaken kindness in treat- 
ing it to all kinds of fertilizers without taking 
the trouble to find out whether they suit the 
needs of the plant or not. We overfeed it and 
breed a dyspeptic condition, which results in 
the chronic ill-health that characterizes most 
of the plants we see. 

Now, the Palm likes a moderately rich soil, 
but it does not submit kindly to an attempt at 
forcing its development. It likes to take its own 
time for that. It likes to grow when it feels 
like it, and rest when the mood to do so takes 
possession of it. If you would have fine 
Palms, you must humor their whims, if whims 
they are. If they seem inclined to stand still, 
you make a most serious mistake by trying to 
force them into activity by the application of 
rich food. A dormant plant is not in the con- 
dition to make use of it. Wait until growth 
sets in, and then apply your fertilizer, but give 
it in small quantities at first. As development 
increases, increase the supply of plant food, but 

213 



THE CULTURE AND 

never give more than enough to bring about a 
vigorous, healthy development. That is what 
you should aim at always. I am aware that 
the amateur will say right here that such advice 
is vague. How much fertilizer is to be con- 
sidered as "enough"? To this I can only 
answer that it is impossible to lay down any 
hard-and-fast rule as to quantity. Fertilizers 
differ in strength. Soils differ in quality. 
The owner of a Palm must find out how much 
to use by careful experiment. Give a little, 
and watch the result. Learn by observation; 
but be careful not to overdo matters at the out- 
set. It is better to keep on the safe side by 
underfeeding than to do your plant an injury 
by feeding it too much. If the new leaves that 
appear are of a dark, healthy color and of good 
size, with stalks slightly longer than those 
which were on the plant when you bought it, be 
satisfied. And be satisfied if your plant pro- 
duces two or three good leaves a year. 

A word as to the kind of fertilizer to use. I 
depend entirely on bone-meal. Some use liquid 
fertilizer prepared from barnyard manure. 
This is good, but it almost invariably breeds 
worms in the soil. The bone-meal will not do 
this, therefore I prefer it. In preparing soil 

214 



THE CARE OF PALMS 

for potting Palms I mix the bone with ordinary 
garden loam in the proportion of a teacupful 
of the former to a bushel of the latter. This 
is the comj)ost in which I would expect the 
plants to do well at all times, but when growth 
was being made I would add a spoonful of bone 
to each seven- or eight-inch pot, working it 
well into' the soil about the roots of the plant. 
I would repeat the application once in three 
months if growth continued. As a general 
thing, under good treatment the Palm will 
grow pretty nearly the year round. 

Good drainage is an item of great impor- 
tance. I believe that more Palms are lost be- 
cause of poor drainage than from all other 
causes. If the soil retains water unduly, it 
soon sours, and this condition of it is sure to 
bring on a disease of the roots ; and as soon as 
the roots of a Palm become diseased the tips of 
the leaves will turn brown and become so un- 
sightly that they have to be clipped oiF. Clip- 
ping results in temporary improvement only. 
Very soon the tissue of the leaf will turn brown 
at its extremity, as it did in the first place, and 
a second clipping will be necessary. After 
about a third clipping the leaf will have lost 
its beauty and your plant will cease to be an 

215 



THE CULTURE AND 

ornament to hall or parlor, for all the leaves 
on it will most likely be similarly affected. 
But if at the beginning you see that your plant 
has proper drainage, all this may be avoided. 
Put from an inch and a half to two inches of 
broken pottery into each pot before filling it 
with soil. This will prevent the soil from 
washing down and closing the crevices in the 
drainage material and allow all surplus water 
to run off at the bottom of the pot. Never 
neglect to do this. The welfare of your plant 
depends on it to a great degree. 

Many persons keep the pot containing their 
Palm in jardinieres. If the pot rests on the 
bottom of the jardiniere, the water that runs 
through at watering-time collects there, and 
unless it is emptied frequently it soon gets to 
be two, three, or four inches deep, and your 
plant is obliged to stand with its feet in the 
mud. No matter how good drainage you may 
have provided for it, if this condition of affairs 
is allowed to exist, disaster is sure to follow. 
Always put a brick or something similar in the 
bottom of your jardiniere for the pot to stand 
on. Ajid be careful to see that whatever water 
collects there is poured out before it gets to 
the top of the brick. 

216 



THE CARE OF PALMS 

JNIany persons keep their Palms standing in 
corners of the room for days at a time, or in 
other places some distance from the light. If 
this is done, souring of the soil is pretty sure 
to result, hecause absence of good light inter- 
feres with evaporation. If you would use 
Palms for decorative purposes away from the 
window, have two or three of them and let them 
take turns doing decorative duty. Change 
them so often that they are never away from 
the light for more than two days at a time. 

This leads up to the subject of exposure. 
Some persons will tell you never to let the sun- 
shine touch your Pahii. Others will tell you 
to keep it always in shade, the more the better. 
The fact is, sunshine is not necessary to the 
welfare of the Palm, but morning sunshine will 
not harm it in the least, and good light it must 
have in reasonable quantity if you expect it to 
have a good color. Strong shade is not desir- 
able. The shade that suits the Palm might be 
defined as simply the absence of sunshine. 
Palms do well in east windows, but in south 
ones thej^ should be kept back from the glass, 
for the heat on a sunny winter's day will be too 
strong for them. 

How often shall we water the Palms? That 

217 



THE CULTURE AND 

is not an easy question to answer, because con- 
ditions vary so much. Here, as in other de- 
partments of plant-culture, I would advise an 
adherence to the only rule which has, so far, 
been found safe to follow: When the surface 
of the soil looks dry, water, and give enough 
to thoroughly saturate all the soil in the pot; 
then wait until the soil looks dry again before 
giving more. There can be no definite time 
named, for at some seasons of the year evap- 
oration is rapid, at other times slow. The con- 
dition of the plant will have a good deal to do 
with watering. If growing, it will need a 
good deal more water than if dormant. The 
owner of the plant must study it, and thus 
enable herself to do the right thing for it at 
the right time and in the right way. It is an 
easy thing to lay down a set of general rules, 
but every plant-grower will find that these 
rules must be constantly modified to fit condi- 
tions, and that conditions vary so much that 
each person must be governed by a nice sense 
of discrimination and good judgment. Good 
judgment can only come from a knowledge of 
the requirements of the plant you cultivate and 
a familiarity with the results which follow the 
doing of this or that thing. In brief, the suc- 

218 



THE CARE OF PALMS 

cessful cultivator of plants must keep her eyes 
open, and study her plants as she does her 
children. 

Palms should be showered at least once a 
week. It is a good plan to take them into the 
bathroom, lay them down on their side, and 
spray them so thoroughly that every portion 
is washed as clean as it would be if they were 
exposed to a summer shower. This keeps the 
dust from accumulating on them to close the 
pores of the leaves, thus interfering with their 
breathing as well as making them unsightly. 
It also keeps the red spider down. This little 
insect is that little that it hardly seems possible 
that he could do much harm, but he is more 
destiTictive than all other insects combined. 
He delights in the hot, dry atmosphere which 
characterizes the modern living-room. Moist- 
ure he does not like, hence the value of the 
shower-bath in waging warfare against him. 
Always keep water evaporating in the room. 
Use the hand-atomizer on your plants daily. 
Depend entirely upon moisture in fighting this 
pest. Tobacco teas and insecticides of all 
kinds are useless except in so far as they impart 
the moisture, which is more satisfactory if 
obtained from clear water. If it is not conven- 

219 



THE CULTURE AND 

ient to shower j^our plants, dip them in tubs of 
water. 

Sometimes scale, mealy-bug, and aphis 
attack the Palm. Scale is a flat insect which 
attaches itself to the leaf and sucks out the 
juices of the plant. JNIealy-bug is a white, cot- 
tony looking creature which establishes itself in 
the rough places of the stalk. Aphides every 
plant-grower is so familiar with that no de- 
scription will be needed. Either one of the 
three will do great injury to a plant, and if 
they all work together, they will soon kill it. 
There are many insecticides on the market, but 
none of them is as effective as a solution of the 
ordinary ivory soap used in the household. 
Shave up about two ounces of it, melt it, and 
add it to a pailful of water, and wash your 
plants with it. Such a remedy costs next to 
nothing, is always at hand or easily obtainable, 
is perfectly safe, and has the merit of being 
pleasant to use, which is something that cannot 
be said of the ordinarj^ insecticide. 



SOME persons fail with Palms because they 
selected varieties not adapted to house- 
culture. I have found that the Kentias, Fos- 

220 




ARECA LUTESCENS 



THE CARE OF PALMS 

teriaiia and Belmoreana, give the best satisfac- 
tion because of their sturdy, vigorous habit and 
the ease ^vith which they adapt themselves to 
hving-room conditions. They are of stately, 
upright growth, with long, frond-like leaves 
which arch gracefully. Phoenix reclinata is of 
more spreading habit and is perhaps the most 
rapid grower and the hardiest of all varieties 
desirable for house-use. Latonia Borbonica — 
the Fan Palm — has large, almost circular, 
leaves and does not grow to any great height. 
Areca lutescens is of more delicate character 
than either of the Kentias, but resembles them 
closely in other respects. If those who have an 
ambition to grow the Palm, and grow it well, 
w ould confine their selection to these five varie- 
ties, success would more frequently crown their 
efforts. When they have learned how to grow 
these, they may safely undertake the cultiva- 
tion of more exacting varieties. If properly 
cared for, a Palm ought to increase in beauty 
for years, or, in fact, until it becomes too large 
for living-room use. It will do this if given 
proper treatment. 

In case worms are found in the soil I would 
advise the immediate application of lime-water. 
Prepare this by putting a piece of perfectly 

221 



THE CULTURE AND 

fresh lime as large as an ordinary cofFee-cup 
in a pail of water. It will soon dissolve. 
Pour off the clear water and apply this to your 
plants, using enough to wet all the soil in the 
pot. A smaller quantity would be of no bene- 
fit. ]Many persons fear to use lime-water lib- 
erally, as they have an impression that it may 
injure their ]3lants. Such is not the case, how- 
ever. Water can hold only a certain amount 
of the active properties of lime in suspension, 
and this amount is never enough to injure the 
most delicate plant, except such varieties as are 
averse to lime in the soil. Ordinary plants 
receive considerable benefit from its use as a 
plant-food. That it will kill worms I know 
from repeated trials, but one application may 
not be sufficient to do this. If any are found 
after the first trial, give another application, 
and repeat the process until no worms are to be 
found. Worms do great harm because they 
attack the tender roots, thus bringing about a 
diseased condition which greatly weakens the 
plant and lays the foundation of chronic ill- 
health, which, in time, will most likely result 
in death. If they do not kill the plant, they 
spoil its appearance, and a dead plant is better 
than a disfigured one. If the leaves of your 

222 



THE CARE OF PALMS 

Palm begin to turn yellow or die at the tips, 
and you know drainage to be good, you will 
be warranted in suspecting the cause of trouble 
to be worms. If you turn the plant out of its 
pot, you will most likely find tiny white ones 
clinging to the younger roots in large numbers. 
The fish or angle- worm is not as harmful as the 
small white one. Be prompt in the application 
of your remedy, and do not be satisfied until 
you have routed the enemy. 

If concentrated fertilizers, like bonemeal, are 
used, it will not be necessary to repot Palms 
yearly. Keep the soil rich by feeding it lib- 
erally, and thus avoid that disturbance of the 
roots which always acts as a temporary check 
upon the development of the plant. Develop- 
ment should go steadily ahead and never be 
interrupted if possible to avoid it. 

I have spoken of the application of oil to the 
foliage. Many persons advise it because it 
gives a glossiness to the leaf which is quite 
pleasing at fii'st. But in a short time, if its use 
is continued, the leaf will take on a sickly color, 
and soon you will have to remove it. Oil closes 
the pores of the leaf and prevents it from 
breathing, and it also retains dust, which can- 
not be removed by an ordinary showering be- 

223 



THE CULTURE AND 

cause tlie oil repels water. If you want the 
foliage of your Palms to look bright and fresh, 
put three or four spoonfuls of milk in a basin 
of water and wash the plant with this infusion. 
Go over them leaf by leaf, using a sponge or a 
soft cloth to apply the liquid. 

I frequently receive letters from the owners 
of Palms who tell me that their plants elevate 
themselves above the soil, making stilts of their 
roots. Some write me that they have repotted 
their plants repeatedly, using deeper pots, and 
sinking the plant so that its base touches the 
soil, but in a short time it is up in the air again. 
Do not worry over this condition of things. 
It is the nature of the plant to grow in that 
way. No harm comes from the exposure of 
the upper part of the roots, and great injury 
may be done by putting the base of the plant in 
contact with the soil. I have known decay to 
set in, in manj^ instances, because of it. 

How large pots shall we use ? That depends 
on the age of the plant to a considerable ex- 
tent. If three or four years old and of vigor- 
ous development, a twelve-inch pot may be 
required, but up to that age I would not advise 
pots more than eight or ten inches across. If 
concentrated fertilizers are used, the plant 

224 



THE CARE OF PALMS 

grown in a pot of these sizes will remain in 
perfect health. An examination of its roots 
will frequently show that they fill the pot so 
entirely that you wonder what has become of 
the soil. They seem to have absorbed it all, 
and yet they will have that clean, white look 
which proves them to be in a perfectly healthy 
condition, and the growth of the plant will 
be all that one could desire. Large pots are 
not needed when you feed your plants on food 
containing the elements of plant growth in 
condensed form. 

Many of the points upon which I have 
touched in this paper may seem unimportant to 
the amateur, but let me assure him that success 
can only be secured by following the advice 
given. Bear in mind the fact that success in 
plant-culture depends largely on the little 
things. I have advised nothing that has not 
a good reason back of it— nothing that years of 
personal experience in Palm-growing has not 
shown me to be essential to success. 



DECORATIVE PLANTS 



Love lies bleeding in the bed whereover 

Roses lean with smiling mouths or pleading: 

Earth lies laughing where the sun's dart clove her: 
Love lies bleeding. 

Swinbukne: Love Lies Bleeding. 




Like two cathedral towers these stately pines 

Uplift their fretted summits tipped with cones; 
The arch beneath them is not built with stones. 
Not Art but Nature traced these lovely lines, 
"""And carved this graceful arabesque of vines; 

No organ but the wind here sighs and moans. 
No sepulchre conceals a martyr's bones. 
No marble bishop on his tomb reclines. 
Enter ! the pavement, carpeted with leaves. 
Gives back a softened echo to thy tread ! 
Listen ! the choir is singing; all the birds. 
In leafy galleries beneath the eaves, 

Are singing ! listen, ere the sound be fled. 
And learn there may be worship without words. 
Longfellow: My Cathedral. 



DECORATIVE PLANTS 




ERHAPS the most popular 
of ornamental-foliaged plants 
for several years past has 
been the Boston Fern, a 
" sport " from the well-known 
Nephrolepis exaltata, better 
known as the Sword Fern. 
This plant is too well known to need descrip- 
tion here. It is seen everywhere. When 
well grown it is a most beautiful plant, but 
as ordinarily grown it fails to do itself justice 
because conditions are against it. It is one 
of the easiest of all plants to grow well if 
its requirements are understood and met. 
It must have a light, spongy soil in order to 
do its best, and be given plenty of root room. 
A year-old plant ought to have at least a ten- 
inch pot to accommodate properly its many 
strong roots. A good soil for it is made by 
mixing ordinary garden loam with fibrous 
matter secured by turning over old sward and 
scraping away that portion immediately be- 
low the grass-tops. This will be full of fine 



DECORATIVE 



roots, which will furnish the vegetable matter 
all Ferns delight in. It is an excellent sub- 
stitute for leafmold, which is the ideal soil 
for most Ferns, but which those who live in 
cities and villages find it extremely difficult to 
procure without making special trips to the 
country in search of it. Mix this v.ith equal 
parts of garden loam, and add to it enough 
sharp, coarse sand to make the entire mass so 
friable that when some of it is squeezed firmly 
in the hand it will readily fall apart when 
pressure is relaxed. In such a soil any Fern 
will grow well, provided other conditions are 
favorable. 

The Boston Fern is propagated by runners, 
which are sent out from old plants and take 
root wherever a joint comes in contact with soil, 
or by division of the old plants. I prefer the 
latter method, because it gives one a larger 
plant in a given length of time. If you have 
an old plant and desire to increase your stock 
from it, take a sharp, thin-bladed knife and 
cut down between the divisions of the crown 
in such a manner that each will have some roots 
attached. Put these pieces in four- or five- 
inch pots and leave them there until they have 
filled the soil with roots. Then shift to seven- 

230 



PLANTS 

or eight-inch pots and later on to ten-inch ones, 
thus making two shifts during the year. Keep 
the plants out of the sun at all times and be 
careful to see that the soil never gets dry. 
This is very important. If a Fern suffers 
from lack of moisture at its roots, it receives a 
check from which it will be months in recover- 
ing. Indeed, I would throw such a plant away 
and begin with a new one, feeling sure that the 
latter would be much the finest plant by fall if 
given proper care. The careful amateur will 
see that her plants are given such attention as 
will keep them going steadily ahead. No 
check will ever result from her neglect of them. 
When properly cared for a Boston Fern ought 
to have from thirty to sixty fronds when a 
year old, each frond four or five feet long, 
with dozens more showing at the centre of the 
plant. Such a specimen will be a veritable 
fountain of foliage. One will be sufficient to 
fill a large window, where it will be most effec- 
tive if kept by itself. Other plants do not 
combine well with it. For use on brackets it is 
most charming because of its gracefully di'oop- 
ing habit. 

Lately two new Ferns have been put upon 
the market, both "sports" from the Boston 

231 



DECORATIVE 



variety. Nephrolepis Piersonii has the leaflets 
of the frond divided in such a manner that each 
becomes a miniature frond. These give the 
plant a heavy, rich foliage which is extremely 
beautiful. The fronds are shorter than those 
of the parent variety and of more upright 
habit. N. Fosteriana has the same division 
of pinnse, but its leaflets are narrow and long, 
instead of short and wide, like those of N. 
Piersonii. This peculiarity gives it an ex- 
tremely light and dainty efl'ect, and especially 
so because its fronds are long and drooping. 
Both are beautiful. Which is most so it would 
be impossible to say, because tastes diff'er. See 
either of them, and you will be sure to want 
them. Give them the same treatment advised 
for the Boston Fern. 

Begonias have heretofore been considered 
better adapted to window-garden culture than 
as plants for general decoration, but the in- 
troduction of several new varieties has enlarged 
our list of desirable ornamental plants and 
gives us some strikingly beautiful ones. One 
of the best of these is Manicata aurea varie- 
gata. It has large, thick foliage, heavily 
blotched and splashed with pale yellow on a 
dark-green ground. No two leaves on a large 

232 




SHOWY SPECIMEN OF NEPHROLEPIS PIERSONII 



PLANTS 

specimen will show the same variegation. The 
underside of the foliage and the leaf -stalks 
have little, fringed bracts of dark red at inter- 
vals, which add much to the beauty of the 
plant. The habit of growth is j)eculiar. 
Gnarled, twisted stems are sent out w^hich curl 
about the pot and droop over it, but never take 
on an upright habit. In order to secure most 
satisfactory results from it, it should be grown 
on a stand, which will allow its fantastic growth 
to droop to suit itself, as it cannot when kept on 
a shelf or the window-sill. It is a profuse 
bloomer. Its flowers are produced in great 
panicles, on long stalks thrown well above the 
foliage. They are small, but there are so many 
of them that they are extremely ornamental. 
Their silvery tints, delicately suffused with 
flesh-color, afford a charming contrast to the 
dark green and creamy variegation of the 
abundant foliage. This plant is easily grown 
from cuttings. 

Another most lovely Begonia is picta aurea. 
This is of upright habit. Its leaves are large, 
long, and pointed. They have a ground-color 
of dark olive irregularly blotched with clear 
yellow. It is impossible to give a verbal de- 
scription of the plant that will do it anything 

233 



DECORATIVE 



like justice. It must be seen before one can 
gain any adequate idea of its wonderful beauty. 
It is far more ornamental than Begonia of the 
Rex class, because its colors are richer and more 
striking and its habit of growth is superior for 
general effect. And — this will recommend it 
to the amateur who likes fine plants, but does 
not like to have them too exacting in their de- 
mands on his time and attention — it is of ex- 
tremely easy culture. In fact, I have never 
grown any kind of Begonia that required less 
care. Give it a soil similar to that advised for 
the Ferns I have spoken of, keep it moist at the 
roots, but never wet,, and see that it has good 
hght, but not strong sunshine, and anyone can 
succeed with it. Both of the Begonias de- 
scribed have smooth foliage, therefore they 
can be showered with perfect safety and be 
greatly benefited by it. The only Begonias 
injured by the application of water to their 
leaves are those having soft-textured and hairy 
foliage. 

Araucaria excelsa is not a new plant in one 
sense of the word, and in another it is. It has 
long been grown in greenhouses, but the im- 
pression has prevailed that it was not adapted 
to living-room culture. But of late years it 

234 



PLANTS 

has proved to be one of the best i^lants we have 
for that purpose. It is generally known as 
Norfolk Island Pine. It has an evergreen 
foliage which resembles to some extent that of 
our native Hemlock and that of the Balsam, 
and yet it is quite unlike either. The leaves, 
or "needles," with which its branches are 
thickly set are short and extremely plentiful 
and surround the stalk. They are a very dark 
green color. The branches are produced in 
whorls. Each whorl, as a general thing, has 
five branches, but occasionally there will be 
seven or eight ; I have never seen more. When 
the whorl is five-branched you see a perfect, 
five-pointed green star as you look down upon 
the plant. The branches are very regular and 
symmetrical in development. None of them 
ever outgrows the others, therefore symmetry 
characterizes the plant in all stages of its 
growth. A young plant is a perfect tree in 
miniature, and a plant eight or ten feet tall is 
equally as perfect in shape. Because of its 
star-shaped whorls of branches it has been 
given the name of Star Pine by some, while 
other dealers advertise it as the Christmas-tree 
Pine. Large plants make excellent substi- 
tutes for the ordinary Christmas-tree in the 

235 



DECORATIVE 



home. Small plants are fine for table decora- 
tion. There is another variety in the market — 
A. eompacta — of dwarfer habit than A. ex- 
celsa, and better adapted for window-culture. 
To grow this plant well give it a soil of rich, 
sandy loam. Shift from time to time as the 
roots fill the old pot. Water moderately. 
Shower frequently to make sure that the red 
spider — that worst enemy of all plants kept in 
the dry, overheated atmosphere of the living- 
room — does not get a foothold on it. As a 
general thing this is the only insect that ever 
attacks it, but occasionally the aphis will be 
found on the tender growth. The remedy in 
such a case is sulpho-tobacco soap infusion, 
applied with a sprayer. After the plant is in 
a very large pot feed it by the application of 
good fertilizers rather than by repotting it in 
fresh soil. A plant two or three years old 
ought to have from ten to twelve whorls of 
branches and be from seven to eight feet tall. 
When it gets too large for the room you can 
easily trade it to the florist for smaller plants. 
He will be delighted to make the exchange, as 
large specimens are always in demand for dec- 
oration on such occasions as balls and other 
parties. The stately effect of a well-grown 

236 



PLANTS 

plant in the hall or parlor cannot be equalled by 
any Palm. Being so unlike all other decora- 
tive plants, it is sure to attract attention, and 
it never fails to win the admiration of every 
lover of the beautiful in plant-life. Until 
within the last year or two small plants were 
quite expensive, but since the demand for them 
has increased the florists have enlarged their 
stock, and nowadays the price is very reason- 
able. 

^^W f^* f^t 

THE Ficus, or Rubber Plant, is popular 
for two reasons: It has large and strik- 
ing foliage, quite unlike that of ordinary 
plants, and it is easily grown. Naturally 
this commends it to the attention of the ama- 
teur. A well-grown specimen with large, 
healthy foliage all along its stalk is orna- 
mental, but the plant as ordinarily grown is 
more often unsatisfactory than otherwise. 
Its foliage will be sparse and frequently dis- 
colored, and the chief characteristic of the 
plant will be naked branches. But the owner 
keeps it from year to year, hoping for im- 
provement, which is never likely to take 
place. The only really satisfactory Ficus is 

237 



DECORATIVE 



the plant which has never been allowed to stop 
growing. If it once stands still, it is almost 
impossible for the amateur to coax it into 
growth again — that is, satisfactory^ growth. 
It may put forth a few leaves now and 
then, but they are likely to be small ones, 
utterly unlike the large, rich foliage which 
constitutes the chief charm of the plant when 
properly grown. Give it a rich soil, a good- 
sized pot, a moderate amount of water, and 
plenty of sunshine, and it will make luxuriant 
development. See that all these conditions are 
kept up, and your plant will go steadily ahead 
and get finer and finer as it increases in size, 
but allow the soil to become exhausted or the 
roots to be badly cramped for room, and 
straightway it will refuse to grow, and this 
means, nine times out of ten, the end of its 
usefulness. About all that can be done with 
it after that is to trade it to the florist, who 
can give such treatment in his greenhouse as 
you cannot in the living-room. There he may 
be able to coax it into renewed growth and get 
some returns from it in the way of cuttings 
from which to grow young plants. 

The Ficus, as a general thing, does not 
branch freely. ^lost of the plants we see have 

238 







'^ 



PLANTS 

no branches. There is simply the one straight 
stalk. If the lower leaves have fallen, the plant 
is unsightly unless kept among others which 
hide its nakedness. A branching plant is al- 
ways preferable, as it is likely to have more 
leaves than the branchless one and does not 
attain the height of the latter. Such a plant 
your florist will furnish for you if you ask him 
to. But if you simply order a Ficus, quite 
likely you will get one on which no signs of 
branches are to be seen, and it will keep going 
up, up, up, in a straight stalk, until it gets to 
the top of the window. Then it will be too late 
to cut away its top, hoping to encourage by so 
doing the production of branches below. To 
grow any plant into a fine specimen you must 
take it in hand when small and keep it in hand 
as it develops until it is what you want it to be. 
Most plants are tractable and can be made to 
do what we would have them if we exercise 
patience and perseverance in the training of 
them. Spasmodic attention is not what is 
needed. We must give them daily care and 
they must be constantly under control. 

The ordinary Ficus has plain green foliage. 
F. elastica variegata has leaves broadly and 
irregularly marked with white and pale green 

239 



DECORATIVE 



along their edges. This variety, however, 
lacks the robust qualities which characterize the 
variety in general cultivation, and though it is 
very attractive when well grown, it generally 
fails to give complete satisfaction. Therefore 
do not allow yourself to be cajoled into buying 
it by the elaborate descriptions given in the 
catalogues under the impression that you are 
going to get something that will give you a 
great deal more pleasure than the more com- 
mon sort. 

Those who complain of the difficulty of 
growing fine plants in the hall ought to experi- 
ment with the Queen Victoria Agave. I know 
of but one other plant that will do as well as 
this one with little care, and that is the Aspi- 
distra, which I shall presently speak of. This 
Agave has long, thick, succulent foliage, of a 
pale green regularly bordered with creamy yel- 
low. The old leaves are very persistent, and a 
two- or three-year-old plant will often have as 
many as twenty or thirty of them two to three 
feet in length, all sent out from a common 
centre. The ornamental eiFect of such a plant 
cannot be imagined in any satisfactory degree ; 
it must be seen to be understood. For halls 
where there is not a great deal of direct light 

240 



PLANTS 

I know of no plant better than this. It stands 
all kinds of neglect and hard usage. Because 
of its succulent nature it is not readily injured 
by lack of moisture at the roots. Having a 
thick, tough skin, it is not susceptible to injury 
from insects, and dry air and dust seemingly 
have no effect on it. Its peculiar foliage has 
a suggestion of the tropics in it, and on this 
account it will appeal to many. For some 
reason it has never been much grown, but I am 
confident that it would soon become a very 
popular plant if its merits were better under- 
stood. 

I have referred to the Aspidistra as a Mark 
Tapley among plants. If anything in the 
plant line can " come out strong " under diffi- 
culties, it is this. I have seen specimens of it 
which had not been repotted for years, and had 
not had an application of fertilizer more than 
two or three times in their lives. They had 
been allowed to get dry repeatedly. They had 
seen the thermometer run from one hundred 
above zero to dangerously near the freezing- 
point, and for weeks at a time they had stood in 
a shady corner ten feet away from any direct 
light. And yet these plants looked well and 
were thickly set with foliage of good color; 

16 241 



DECORATIVE 



in a word, they were still ornamental. But I 
would not have the reader get the idea from 
what I have said that the Aspidistra is a plant 
that does not appreciate good treatment. The 
better you care for it, the more satisfactory it 
will be. It pays to be kind to it. Give it a 
rich soil, a regular supply of water, and fairly 
good light, and it will produce a great quantity 
of rich, luxuriant foliage of glossy, dark green 
if you have the plain-leaved kind, or green 
beautifully striped with white and yellow if 
you have the variety sold under the name of 
A. lurida variegata. This foliage is sent up 
directly from the soil. The plant has no 
branches, therefore does not attain a height of 
more than two feet and a half under favorable 
conditions. Its foliage resembles that of the 
Convallaria, or Lily of the Valley, in shape, 
but is several times larger. A strong plant 
will often have fifty leaves. If an old plant 
fills its pot with roots and you do not care to 
give it a larger one, you can keep it in fine con- 
dition for an indefinite period by an occasional 
application of bonemeal or some good liquid 
food. Should you care to increase your stock 
of plants, turn the old one out of its pot and 
break it apart in such a manner that each bit 

£42 



PLANTS 

of crown will have a few roots attached. Plant 
these in good, fresh soil, or the open ground, 
and soon you will have vigorous young plants 
which will not be at their best in a decorative 
sense until about a year old. The Aspidistra is 
a favorite for decorative purposes because its 
low habit of growth brings the foliage-effect 
down to the floor and hides the unsightliness of 
pots containing tall-growing plants placed 
back of it. 

Pandanus utilis — the Screw Pine — is a good 
plant for living-room culture if care is taken to 
prevent water from collecting in the centre of 
it. If this occurs, decay soon sets in, and in a 
short time your plant will die. Great care 
should be taken to have the drainage of the pot 
perfect. Water moderately. Keep the foliage 
free from dust by frequent showering. Lay 
the plant flat on the floor, when this is done, to 
make sure that water does not run down the 
leaves to the heart of it. A new variety has 
lately been introduced under the name of P. 
Veitchii. This has beautifully striped foliage 
of green and white. A fine specimen shows to 
superb effect when given a place on a stand in 
a large window, where it can display its charms 
without the interference of other plants. The 

243 



DECORATIVE 



Screw Pines are very interesting because of 
their peculiar habits of growth. Their foliage 
is sent up in spiral form, hence the name. 
Each leaf has sharp teeth along its edges. 
These point towards the tip of the leaf. You 
can draw your hand up the leaf with perfect 
impunity, but attempt to draw your hand down 
it and you will find yourself impaled by scores 
of needle-like points. Never subject the Pan- 
danus to a low temperature and do not keep it 
far from the light. 

Some of the Dracenas are easily grown in 
the living-room. D. indivisa has long, narrow 
foliage, so freely produced and so graceful in 
its arrangement that it well deserves the popu- 
lar name of " Fountain Plant." D. regina has 
broad, curving leaves of dark green edged 
with pure white, thick and leathery in texture. 
The plant is compact and strong-growing. 
The foliage is thickly set along its stalk, mak- 
ing it extremely ornamental. To grow Dra- 
cenas well, give them a light, spongy soil, well 
drained, and never over-watered. Keep the 
foliage clean by frequent showerings. If 
aphides attack it, wash with an infusion of 
sulpho-tobacco soap. 

Do not get the impression that any of the 

244 



PLANTS 

plants I have made mention of are robust 
enough to get along without some attention. 
True, the Agave and Aspidistra require but 
very little care, but they cannot be expected to 
give satisfaction when entirely neglected. 
They respond readily to kind treatment, and 
will be so much finer in every way where it is 
given that you will be glad to give it when once 
you understand the results of it. I would ad- 
vise giving each plant a chance at the window at 
least once a week, and I would never put any 
of them in shady corners and keep them there. 
If kept at a distance from the light, for long 
at a time, they will suffer by it. Evaporation 
takes place slowly in the shade, and the undue 
retention of moisture is likely to result in sour- 
ing of the soil. And a sour soil almost always 
brings on a diseased condition of the roots 
which speedily results in the death of the plant 
in it. 



THE USE OF GROWING PLANTS 
FOR TABLE DECORATION 





To me the meanest flower that blows can give 
Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears. 
Wordsworth: Intimations of Immortality. 

Swan flocks of lilies shoreward lying. 
In sweetness, not in music, dying, — 
Hardhack, and virgin's-bower. 
And white-spiked clethra-flower. 

Whittier : The Maids of Attitash. 




At the head of Flora's dance; 
Simple Snow-drop, then in thee 
All thy sister-train I see; 
Every brilliant bud that blows, 
From the blue-bell to the rose; 
All the beauties that appear. 
On the bosom of the Year, 
All that wreathe the locks of Spring, 
Summer's ardent breath perfume, 
Or on the lap of Autumn bloom. 
All to thee their tribute bring. 

Montgomeet: The Snow-Drop. 



THE USE OF GROWING 
PLANTS FOR TABLE 
DECORATION :: :: 




ANY a woman would beautify 
her table with flowers daily if 
she could aif ord to do so ; but 
at some seasons of the year the 
price of even quite ordinary 
flowers is prohibitive among 
a large class of people, and 
really choice flowers are out of the question 
altogether. This being the case, the use of 
flowers is confined to " extra occasions." 

I would suggest to the woman who takes a 
housewifely pride in making the table as at- 
tractive as possible for her own family, as well 
as the frequent guest, that growing plants can 
be used in the place of flowers with most satis- 
factory results, provided they are kept in good 
condition. Most homes, nowadays, have plants 
in the window, and here she can secure stock 
for table decoration. With fine plants to de- 
pend on, instead of cut flowers purchased from 

249 



GROWING PLANTS FOR 

the florist, the table can alwaj^s have about it 
the charm of " green things growing." 

One of the very best plants for this purpose 
is the variety of Asparagus catalogued as 
A. plumosus nanus. If the ends of its new 
shoots are nipped off before the side branches 
are developed, they form a broad frond which 
spreads out from the centre of the plant, arch- 
ing gracefully over the pot, so that a plant 
becomes a symmetrical mass of filmy green 
that has a cool, airy grace that makes it as de- 
lightful to look at as a wildwood Fern. 
Indeed, it is better adapted to table decora- 
tion than most Ferns obtained from the 
florist, because of its light, feathery char- 
acter. It imparts the decorative efl'ect 
aimed at without hiding anything. A table 
set with fine china whose only decoration 
is a touch of gold and cut glass that 
sparkles against a background of immaculate 
napery, with the filmy fronds of this plant 
showing like a green mist above all, is wonder- 
fully attractive in its chaste, pure daintiness. 
If a touch of bright color is desired, a very few 
flowers thrust among the fronds of the plant 
will give charming results, and the general 
effect, from the artistic stand-point, will be 

250 



TABLE DECORATION 

vastly more satisfactory to the woman of dis- 
criminating taste than a great mass of costly 
flowers. Plants quite large enough for ordi- 
nary decorative purposes can be grown in six- 
inch pots. Larger plants, which can be made 
good use of on more elaborate occasions, when 
the table is extended to its fullest capacity, 
can be grown in eight- and nine-inch pots, or 
two or three smaller plants can be grouped in 
such a manner as to give the effect of a large 
one. 

To grow the plant well, give it a soil that is 
light and rich. Water it moderately. Aim to 
keep the soil moist, but never wet. If too much 
water is used, the foliage of the plant often 
turns yellow and droops. Give it a place in the 
window where the full sunshine cannot get at 
it. Shower or spray it at least twice a week, 
or, what is better, dip it in a tub of water. If 
this is done, no part of the plant escapes a 
thorough wetting. We do this to prevent in- 
jury from the red spider, which delights in a 
dry atmosphere. If something of the kind is 
not done, this enemy will often ruin a plant in 
a short time. This Asparagus is one of the 
most satisfactory of ornamental plants for the 
window, therefore the woman who grows it 

251 



GROWING PLANTS FOR 

"kills two birds with one stone" — she beauti- 
fies the window and her table at the same time. 
Care must be taken to get the plumosus nanus 
variety. There is another variety often worked 
off on the unsuspecting amateur as equally 
desirable. This is A. tenuissimus. It is a 
pretty plant, but it is a vine, therefore it lacks 
the upright, spreading habit which admirably 
fits plumosus nanus for table use. 

^oi v3J <oi 

ANOTHER fine decorative plant that is 
not at all common is Begonia aurea varie- 
gata. While small, this Begonia has. large 
foliage, shaped something like that of the Rex 
section, very heavy and thick in texture, of a 
dark-green, glossy ground, blotched and mar- 
bled irregularly with creamy white, deepening 
to soft yellow, often with streaks and dashes of 
rose blending into the other colors most charm- 
ingl}^ Young plants have a large quantity of 
foliage which almost entirely hides the pot, but 
older plants lose most of their early leaves and 
exert their energies in the development of 
gnarled and twisted stems which unfit them for 
table use. This is a plant that comes out well 
under artificial light. It needs no flowers to 

252 



TABLE DECORATION 

heighten its beauty, as its yellow variegation 
is sufficiently ornamental in itself. To grow it 
well, give it a soil of sandy loam. Water 
moderately, and give it a place in the window 
where it will get plenty of light without ex- 
posure to strong sunshine. 

Another Begonia that is sure to find favor 
with the woman who takes pride in the appear- 
ance of her table is Gloire de Lorraine. This 
variety seldom outgrows the size most effective 
in table decoration. It is wonderfuly florifer- 
ous — indeed, a plant is literally covered with 
flowers from January to March. Its blossoms, 
which are borne in loose, spreading panicles 
that droop beneath their own weight, are of a 
soft, rich rose-color that lights up as finely as 
a Daybreak Carnation or an Ada Spaulding 
Chrysanthemum. Fine as their color seems by 
day, it comes out much more richly under 
artificial light. This is a feature which will 
make this Begonia a general favorite for use 
on the table, as many pink flowers seem dull 
and flat in tone at evening. This plant always 
grows in symmetrical shape if its slender 
branches are given proper support. Young, 
strong plants which will soon come into bloom 
can be bought of most florists during the fall 

253 



GROWING PLANTS FOR 

months. It is adA^sable to let the florists grow 
them on to flowering size, as thej^ are some- 
what exacting in their requirements during the 
early stages of their growth, and as yet we do 
not understand these requirements well enough 
to give the treatment they get from the florist. 
It is well to invest in three or four plants, so 
that one will not have to do table duty too long 
at a time. 

The Baby Primrose is a lovely little plant 
that gives to the table precisely that charm 
which wildwood flowers generally have a mo- 
nopoly of. It is not showy in one sense of the 
word, — that is, it is lacking in brilliant color- 
ing, — but it is showy in the sense that it is 
beautiful. Its flowers are a soft, rosy-lilac, 
with a greenish-yellow eye. They are small 
individually, but there are so many of them on 
each healthy plant that the effect is very good. 
They are produced on long, slender stalks, 
thrown well above the foliage, which is in a 
thick mass at the surface of the soil. The 
flowers are borne in whorls, two or three to a 
stalk. This plant is of remarkably easy cul- 
ture. Give it a light, fibrous soil and a good 
deal of water and you will have not the least 
trouble with it. Anyone who has a fondness 

25-t 



TABLE DECORATION 

for Hepaticas and Spring Beauties and other 
woodland flowers will get a great deal of pleas- 
ure out of this modest, beautiful, lovable little 
2)lant. It can be bought in flowering size from 
all florists during the fall months. 

The jMadame Salleroi Geranium is a stand- 
by among easily grown plants for daily decora- 
tive purposes. Its habit is quite unlike that of 
the ordinar}'- Geranium, which is almost invari- 
ably a scraggly, awkward plant unless care- 
fully trained. It never puts forth long branches. 
Branches a-many it has, but they are all short 
ones, and in a thick mass at the base of the 
plant. Most of its energies seem to be ex- 
pended in the production of leaves. Each 
branch is thickly furnished with them. They 
are of a pale green, bordered with creamy white. 
There is so much foliage to a healthy plant 
that you see nothing but a rovmded mass of it. 
It furnishes a charming background for pink 
Carnations or Roses if you see fit to use a few 
in connection with it. Simply thrust their 
stems into the soil from which the plant grows, 
and you have a combination that will always 
challenge admiration. The ordinary Geranium 
is considered one of the very easiest of all 
plants to grow well, but this varietj^ is of much 

255 



GROWING PLANTS FOR 

easier culture. Indeed, I know of no other 
plant that requires so little attention. It will 
take care of itself if you give it water enough 
to keep the soil about its roots moist all the 
time. A j^lant in a six-inch pot will often 
have as many as two hundred leaves on it. 
From this some idea can be gained of its deco- 
rative capabilities. No one need be without 
material for the decoration of the table at any 
and all times who has half a dozen of these 
Geraniums. And they will add quite as much 
to the beauty of the window as to that of the 
table. They thus answer a double purpose 
most effectively. 



SMALL plants of Dracena and Pandanus 
are fine for table use. Especially the 
variety of Pandanus catalogued as P. Veitchii. 
This has a white stripe running the entire 
length of each leaf. The leaves are long, 
slender, and gracefully arching, thus adapting 
it to the purpose admirably. But neither of 
these plants do their best in the window-garden, 
and I would only recommend them to the 
woman who has the advantages of the home 
greenhouse. 

256 



TABLE DECORATION 

Well-grown specimens of the Otaheite 
Orange in fruit are very pleasing table orna- 
ments, and as the fruit hangs on for a long 
time, a plant can be used indefinitely. The 
Jerusalem Cherry, now so extensivelj^ sold at 
holiday-time, is another excellent plant for use 
on the table when well set with berries. So is 
Ardisia crenulata, with its thick, dark-green 
foliage and clusters of brilliant scarlet fruit. 
All three plants named in this paragraph are 
easily cared for by the amateur, — in fact, thej^ 
require no special care, — and the money one 
puts into them is well invested if you want 
something to depend on for the ornamentation 
of the table during the greater part of the sea- 
son. They will furnish an agreeable variety 
in connection with foliage plants, and will do 
effective duty in the window when not needed 
on the table. 

This article would not be complete if it 
failed to make mention of the Araucaria, or 
Norfolk Island Pine. It is not a new plant bj'^ 
any means, but a plant which is just coming 
into a well-deserved popularity. It has not 
been grawn much, heretofore, outside the 
green-houses, because the impression has pre- 
vailed that it was not adapted to general cul- 

1 7 257 



GROWING PLANTS FOR 

ture. But we are beginning to find out that 
it is much easier to grow — and grow well — 
than any Palm, and before a great while it will 
be found in most collections. It resembles 
some of our native Spruces and Balsams more 
than any other plant I can compare it with, 
but this comparison fails to convey a good idea 
of its beauty. Its foliage is smaller and its 
general effect more airy and graceful than that 
of any of our native evergreens. It is very 
symmetrical in habit. Its branches are pro- 
duced in successive whorls. There are general- 
ly five branches in each whorl. When this is 
the case each whorl forms a perfect star. Be- 
cause of this the plant is sometimes called the 
Star Pine. But frequently there will be eight 
branches in a whorl. I do not recall ever seeing 
less than five or more than eight, and have no 
recollection of any instance where there were 
seven. 

Young plants are fine for table decoration, 
especially at Christmas, as they can be made to 
serve as Christmas trees on a small scale, their 
branches being quite strong enough to sustain 
the weight of smaU gifts. Large plants can be 
pressed into use in the same capacity for gifts 
of larger size. This plant likes a soil of rich, 

258 



TABLE DECORATION 

sandy loam, such as our native Pine delights 
in. It requires considerable water when grow- 
ing and a moderate amount when standing 
still. It also likes comparative shade and fre- 
quent showerings. Plants having four whorls 
of branches are quite large enough for ordinary 
table use. Such a plant will not outgrow its 
usefulness for a year or more. When it does, 
you can make good use of it in the decoration 
of hall or parlor. 




OUR VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT 
SOCIETY 




Yellow japanned buttercups and 
star-disked dandelions, — just as we 
see them lying in the grass, like 
sparks that have leaped from the 
kindling sun of Summer. 

O. W. Holmes: The Professor at the 
Breakfast Table. 

Violet! sweet violet! 
Thine eyes are full of tears; 

Are they wet 

Even yet 
With the thought of other years ? 
Lowell: Song. 




And yet she follows every turn 

With spires of closely clustered bloom. 

And all the wildness of the place. 

The narrow pass, the rugged ways, 
But give her larger room. 

And near the unfrequented road, 

By waysides scorched with barren heat. 
In clouded pink or softer white 
She holds the Summer's generous light, — 

Our native meadow sweet ! 

Dora Read Goodale: Spiraea. 



OUR VILLAGE IM- 
PROVEMENT SOCIETY 




UR village is pleasantly lo- 
cated. It has river frontage, 
and some very fine trees, and 
quite a number of attractive 
residences. 

It also has a two-acre lot 
which had long been known 
as " the park," because it was public property. 
It was bought years ago, when the town had a 
"boom," as a site for a court-house. But a 
rival town got the court-house, the "boom" 
collapsed, and our "park" became the village 
cow-pasture. 

Its fine elms made it a shady, pleasant place, 
and many of us saw great possibilities in it, if, 
as we used to say to each other, " the town ever 
improved any." But, like the rest of the vil- 
lage, as a village, the two-acre lot was so 
neglected that we took no pride in it, and the 
question of cutting it up for residence pur- 
poses finally came before the village Council. 
It was this suggestion on the part of some 

263 



OUR VILLAGE 



members of the Council which gave birth to our 
Village Imj^rovemcnt Society, for, when the 
matter came up for serious consideration, one 
Councilman opposed the measure vigorously. 
In conversation with his friends, outside the 
Council-room, he had some severe things to 
say about our lack of j^ublic spirit, which he 
asserted had resulted in the general air of 
" gone-to-seedness " which characterized the 
place. 

"Why," said he, "we might have one of the 
most charming little villages in this part of the 
country if we had more pride and interest in 
it. But we don't seem to have any. Every 
season I hear people from the city remarking 
about our shiftlessness and neglect of the 

place. ' It might be made delightful, if ' 

And that if of theirs is equal to a volume in 
its unspoken criticism on our lack of enterprise 
and improvement. In my opinion, it would be 
a shame to sell off the park. We may not 
need it now% but if we ever wake up and do 
something we'll see the mistake we made, but 
we'll find it out when it's too late to help mat- 
ters, for there's no chance to get another 
piece of land like it. I wish I could stir up 
some enthusiasm among the people, and get 

264 



IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY 

them to go in for reform all along the line. I 
read of Village ImproAement Societies in other 
places. One would he a good thing for us, I 
think." 

"Why not have one, then?" suggested one 
of the group. 

"Why not, indeed?" said another. " I'd he 
glad to join such a society and do what I could 
to help it along, and I think the rest of our 
neighbors would. We all see the need of im- 
provement." 

So it came about that in less than an hour 
the village improvement idea was enthusiasti- 
cally received. It seemed as if it was just what 
everybody had been waiting for. A public 
meeting was decided on, and a notice was 
posted up, asking all who were interested in 
the improvement of the village to meet at one 
of the churches on Wednesday evening. 

4^* ^^ ftP^ 

WEDNESDAY evening came, and the 
church was filled with men and women. 
The man who had objected to selling off the 
park was made chairman of the meeting, and 
he briefly stated its object to the audience. 
Then two or three of the leading citizens spoke 

265 



OUR VILLAGE 



heartily in favor of the project and an informal 
discussion ensued. The result was that we had 
no difficulty in effecting an organization, and 
our Village Improvement Society came into 
existence with a membership of over fifty. 

In discussing the method of management 
we decided to have everything about it as 
simple as possible, for some of us recognized 
the fact that success in undertakings of this 
nature is largely dependent on simplicity and 
directness. In order to avoid friction and 
" running expenses," it is wise to have but little 
machinery in a society of this kind, and that of 
the simplest character consistent with effect- 
iveness. We dispensed with a formal and 
elaborate "constitution" and "code of by- 
laws," for we did not think either was needed. 
V^e simply drew up a paper setting forth the 
object of the society and the few rules we 
thought necessary to formulate for its opera- 
tion, and when we had subscribed our names 
to it we were full-fledged, active members. 

In this paper it was stated that membership 
was conditional on an agreement on our part to 
devote at least one day's work, spring and fall, 
to the improvement of the home grounds, and 
to give one day's work, spring and fall, to the 

266 



IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY 

improvement of public grounds and vacant 
places belonging to non-residents if called 
on to do so. 

Each member pledged himself to the pay- 
ment of one dollar semi-annually, the money 
thus secured to constitute a general fund to 
be drawn on in meeting the exj^enses attendant 
on the imj)rovement of public places. We had 
but three officers, a president, secretary and 
treasurer. It was understood that the presi- 
dent was to have supervision of all work on 
public places, with the power of appointing 
such committees as might be deemed necessary 
whenever they were needed. 

At first we had not proposed to take women 
into membership, but it was suggested that 
they had as much right in the society as men 
had, and would, no doubt, take as much interest 
in it, — and quite likely a good deal more. Ac- 
cordingly it was unanimously voted to admit 
them. 

Let me say, right here, for the benefit of 
those who may decide on having an Improve- 
ment Society, that in my opinion it will not 
be what it ought to be unless it admits women 
to membership. Let this be honorary member- 
ship, if thought best, — by that I mean exemp- 

267 



OUR VILLAGE 



tion from the payment of dues and the per- 
formance of manual labor, — bnt by all means 
let women come into the society. Their opin- 
ions will be found valuable and helpful, and 
they will do much by their enthusiasm to en- 
courage good work. 

As was stated in the j^aper to which we sub- 
scribed our names, the work of improvement 
was to begin at home. We began it at once. 
It was surprising to note what a change was 
made in the general appearance of the place 
by one day's work about each home. It seemed 
incredible that so much could be accomplished 
in so short a time. We began to realize, then, 
as never before, the importance of concerted 
action. 

Our first day's work was a valuable object- 
lesson to us. But many of our members were 
not satisfied with one day's work. They felt 
that entire satisfaction could only come from 
thoroughness, and accordingly they kept at it 
until everything about their places was in 
apple-pie order. Their efforts proved conta- 
gious. Those who were not members of the 
society caught the entjiusiasm of improvement, 
and the good work went forward on every 
hand. It lasted long enough to enable us to 

268 



IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY 

accomplish really remarkable results, — not 
remarkable, perhaps, when individually con- 
sidered, but quite so when looked at in the ag- 
gregate. Old lawns were renovated and new 
ones were made; trees, shrubs, and vines were 
planted and beds planned for flowers; old 
fences were mended and painted, some were 
removed; we cleaned away the rubbish which 
had accumulated everywhere because of the 
careless, slovenly habits we had fallen into; — 
in short, we did a hundred and one things 
which I need not make special mention of here, 
but which each member of a society for general 
improvement will find waiting to be done when 
an aggressive campaign is begun. In going 
about the village shortly after the era of reform 
had set in we were delighted at the evidences 
of neatness which met us on every hand, and 
w^e congratulated ourselves on what had al- 
ready been effected by combined effort ex- 
pended along the same line. 

(^* C^* ft^ 

WE began public improvement at the 
church. The grounds about it were 
cleaned up thoroughly and some trees and vines 
set out; old hitching posts were removed and 

269 



OUR VILLAGE 



neat new ones provided; the sheds at the rear 
were reboarded and painted a quiet, neutral 
color. Then we went to work on the school 
grounds, and we did not leave them until they 
were as tidy in appearance as the grounds 
about our homes were. We set out a good 
many trees there, some of them evergreens, 
made provision for beds to be filled with 
flowers by the children, and arranged trellises 
of lathwork, to be covered with vines, as screens 
for the outbuildings. 

Then " the park " was taken in hand. This- 
tles, Mulleins, Nettles, and other weeds of an 
aggressive character had taken full possession, 
and the cows which had been allowed to feed 
there had not interfered with them. These we 
cleared away and sowed the places where they 
had grown with lawn-grass seed. We built seats 
here and there under the trees and erected a 
rustic band-stand in the centre of the lot, about 
which we planted Ampelopsis and Bittersweet 
and wild Clematis. These vines have since 
grown to such size that they completely hide 
the wood of which the stand is built, and make 
it really "a thing of beauty" in summer. 
In some of the open places we set out native 
plants — Golden-rods and Asters. In others 

270 



IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY 

we planted perennial Phlox, Hollyhocks, and 
clumps of " Golden Glow" Rudbeckia. Here 
and there, where they would show to good 
advantage, we made groups of Hydrangea 
and wild Roses and the White-flowered Elder 
of the roadsides and fence-corners. In this 
way we secured considerable variety without 
the expenditure of a dollar, as all the cultivated 
plants we used were given us by those who had 
more than they had use for, and the native 
plants were to be had for the taking in the 
fields and pastures. The result of our work 
here was most gratifying. When we got 
through with "the park" it was something we 
were all proud of. We speak of it nowadays 
in a respectful and appreciative way, and we 
are justified in the pride we take in it, for it is 
a park that would be a credit to any village. 

Every pleasant evening in the summer the 
young people congregate in it, and once or 
twice a week the band practises there, and we 
all turn out to listen to it and visit with our 
neighbors and congratulate ourselves on the 
new order of things. It is natural that we 
should feel a sort of partnership pride in what 
we have done, because it has been the out- 
growth of cooperation. 

271 



OUR VILLAGE 



Each summer affords us fresh proof of the 
wisdom of our undertaking. A^isitors from the 
city comphment us on the spirit of progress 
visible on every hand. " It doesn't look like 
the same place," they tell us. " You have made 
a model village of it, so far as outside appear- 
ances go. Your sidewalks put our city pave- 
ments to shame because of their trustworthi- 
ness. Your homes show thrift. Your public 
places are kept in as tidy condition as your 
homes are, and that's something that can't be 
said of many villages. We like it here, and 
we're coming again." And they keep their 
word, and our village is becoming quite a sum- 
mer resort. So we have found that what we 
have done with very little inconvenience to 
ourselves has proved a good advertisement for 
the place and its people, and the present pros- 
pect is that we shall get back many times the 
value of the labor and money expended in im- 
provement, for several sales of property have 
been made at much better figures than pre- 
vailed before we began our work. The increase 
in the value of real estate is directly attribu- 
table to the improvements which have been 
made by our society. 

What we have done others may do. We 

27'2 



IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY 

have proved to our satisfaction that a large 
amount of money is not needed in an under- 
taking of this kind. Organized eiFort is the 
important thing. Of course, some money will 
be needed, but the sums coming in from dues 
will generally be found sufficient to meet all 
demands, unless improvements far more elabo- 
rate than ours are undertaken. If more is 
needed, it will be forthcoming, I am confident, 
for everyone will feel a personal interest and 
responsibility in the accomplishment of what 
has been undertaken, and they will not be will- 
ing to let failure result from lack of means to 
carry it forward to satisfactory completion. 

In almost any village the young people 
could be enlisted in the work, and they could 
give entertainments for the benefit of the 
society and thus realize a good sum, since 
everybody would feel in duty bound to pat- 
ronize them. 

We have not been ambitious to make costly 
experiments. Instead, we have been satisfied 
to make the most of possibilities in a practical 
way. We have let competent men, having 
good taste and good judgment, plan the public 
work for us, and we have been sensible enough 
not to interfere with them or hamper them 

18 373 



VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY 

with unwise and uncalled-for suggestions 
which we have insisted on having adopted. 
Wherever and whenever this is done there will 
be friction. We have performed the work 
assigned us by those whom we have chosen to 
take the lead in an honest, hearty fashion, glad 
to do it, because we felt that it was of general 
as well as personal benefit. It has stimulated 
and strengthened our pride in the place we 
live in. It has made us feel, as never before, 
the mutuality of our interests. 

But we are not so satisfied with what we 
have done that we feel content to fold our 
hands and rest on our laurels. We have other 
improvements in view. Our society seems to 
have become a permanent thing. One im- 
provement naturally leads to another, and the 
work of a live Village Improvement Society 
like ours is a process of general evolution 
which may go on indefinitely. 




RURAL AND VILLAGE 
IMPROVEMENT SOCIETIES 




Clear and simple in white and gold. 
Meadow blossom, of sunlit spaces, — 

The field is full as it well can hold 

And white with the drift of the ox-eye daisies ! 

Dora Read Goodale: Daisies. 




The ash her purple drops forgivingly 
And sadly, breaking not the general hush; 

The maple swamps glow like a sunset sea, 
Each leaf a ripple with its separate flush; 

All round the wood's edge creeps the skirting blaze 

Of bushes low, as when, on cloudy days. 
Ere the rain falls, the cautious farmer burns his brush. 

Lowell: An Indian Summer Reverie. 

Ah, Sunflower, weary of time. 
Who countest the steps of the sun; 
Seeking after that sweet golden clime. 
Where the traveller's journey is done; 

Where the youth pined away with desire. 
And the pale virgin shrouded in snow, 
Arise from their graves, and aspire 
Where my Sunflower wishes to go ! 

William Blake: The Sunflower. 



RURAL AND VILLAGE 
IMPROVEMENT 
SOCIETIES .-. 




NDIVIDUAL effort is the 
great factor of success in an 
undertaking of this kind. 
The man who begins the 
work of improvement by 
clearing away the rubbisli 
from his back yard and doing 
something to make the home-grounds pleasant 
constitutes an improvement society of one, and 
what he does will be the object-lesson needed 
to prompt others to follow his example. The 
work of improvement must begin at the home. 
Any society which sets out to improve homes 
in general and neglects to do anything for the 
individual home is a failure from the start, be- 
cause it overlooks the fact that general improve- 
ment can only result from individual effort 
brought to bear upon each home, instead of 
general effort expended on all homes. This is 
why improvement, like charity, should begin 

277 



RURAL AND VILLAGE 

at home before it undertakes the broader work 
of the community. 

It is the easiest thing in the world to get an 
improvement society started in almost any 
community if one earnest, enthusiastic person 
will take the matter in hand. This is especially 
the case at the present time, for enough of the 
work of such societies can be seen on all sides 
to convince any thoughtful person of the bene- 
fit growing out of them. It needs some one 
for a leader who is what we Westerners call a 
" hustler," — a person who has the knack of or- 
ganizing and directing individual eiFort in 
such a manner as to make it available and 
effective. If there is such a person in the com- 
munity, and he — or she — ^has the amount of 
enthusiasm necessary to arouse public interest 
and create or stimulate a desire for beauty in 
everyday, practical life, there is no good reason 
why a local improvement society should not be 
organized in any community — there is nearly 
always need for it. Recognize this need fully, 
and bring it to the attention of others, then 
go to work at once in the formation of your 
society. Do not wait for next spring or next 
fall, but begin your work now, for there is 
always something that can be done, and there 

278 



IMPROVEMENT SOCIETIES 

is no reason for deferring action to a special 
season or until such action may seem timely. 
All times, all seasons, are alike to such a 
society, whose work must go on during the 
entire year. Therefore get down to business 
as soon as possible, be the time spring or sum- 
mer, fall or winter. If you cannot work to 
advantage, you can plan for work, and a good 
plan to follow alw^ays enables a society to 
dispose of its work to the greatest advantage 
when working-time comes. 

Very much of the success of such a society 
depends upon individual effort as directed 
towards the improvement of the home grounds. 
Let one person fall to work in earnest in clean- 
ing up and beautifying his place, and what he 
does will serve as an object-lesson to his neigh- 
bors and incite them to imitate his action. En- 
thusiasm is always contagious. Once get a 
community enthusiastically at work, either in- 
dividually or as an organization, in the line of 
improvement, and success is assured, for en- 
thusiasm will feed upon itself and grow as the 
work progresses. I have seen the proof of this 
in my own village, where an improvement 
society resulted from one man's attempt to 
beautify his home grounds. He accomplished 

279 



RURAL AND VILLAGE 

so much in the right direction that others came 
to a reahzation of their own need and oppor- 
tunity^ and followed his exami^le. Soon they 
banded themselves together, and to-day they 
take intense pride and delight in carrying for- 
ward the good work. 

The need of such a society in every com- 
munity is apparent to anyone who will go 
about with his eyes open. He will see chances 
for improvement on every hand. He will soon 
discover them where he had not sui3posed they 
existed until he began to look for tliem. Ob- 
servation will sharpen his vision in this respect, 
and he will soon come to the conclusion that 
the scope of an improvement society is a 
broad one, and one that enlarges as the work 
goes on. 

It is not my intention to get down to defi- 
nite details in this paper, which is more a plea 
for the formation of improvement societies 
than anything else, but I desire to call attention 
to some peculiar features of the work, and also 
to suggest some of the means and methods 
and materials which can be made use of in 
nearly all communities in the performance 
of it. 

The average village lot is deficient in shrub- 

280 



IMPROVEMENT SOCIETIES 

bery and trees, and what is true of the village 
lot is also true, to a considerable extent of the 
country home, therefore what I have to say will 
apply with equal force to both. Nothing im- 
proves the appearance of the home more than 
good trees and fine shrubs. Perhaps the ma- 
jority of our houses are not specially attractive 
in themselves, but give them a setting of 
" green things growing," and the eye is at once 
attracted by it, the house ceases to be the over- 
poweringly prominent feature of the place. 
It is an easy matter to cover up a great deal of 
positive ugliness by a vine. It is just as easy 
to grow trees and shrubs in such a manner as 
to break up bare spaces and hide much that 
cannot be made beautiful in itself. JNIany a 
house cannot be remodelled into an attractive 
one, but the judicious use of vines upon its 
walls, and of trees and shrubs so planted as 
to relieve its angularities and lack of graceful 
lines, will make the place a pleasant one in 
spite of its drawbacks, because beauty is em- 
phasized by making it prominent, and ugliness 
retreats to the background in proportion as 
beauty comes to the front. The eye is natural- 
ly attracted bj^ the beauty of a tree or a shrub 
or a vine, and by using them liberally we draw 

281 



RURAL AND VILLAGE 

attention away from less attractive things. 
It is one of the privileges of art to make its 
disposition of beauty so vivid and forceful that 
a study of it leads us to forget to look for 
unpleasant features. This is one of the truths 
which we need to bear in mind in our attempts 
to beautify the home. 

<oi <^ 1^ 

TOO many of us fall into the mistake of 
thinking that beauty is necessarily ex- 
pensive. It is not so. Beauty is cheap, in the 
sense that it is to be had for the taking. We 
need not go without beautiful trees and shrubs 
and vines because we lack money with which to 
buy them of the growers. The nurseryman 
has not the monopoly of all that is desirable in 
this respect. Go into the fields and forests, — 
and go with the seeing eye, — and you will find 
ample material for the ornamentation of the 
home grounds — material quite as desirable as 
that which the dealer oifers you at a good, 
round price. So long as we can have native 
shrubs like the Clethra and the Elder and the 
Spirea, the wild Rose, the Dogwoods, and the 
Alders, and many others that I need not men- 
tion here, and such vines as the Celastrus, the 

?82 



IMPROVEMENT SOCIETIES 

Ampelopsis, and the Clematis, we need not lack 
for material with which to make home beautiful. 
It is waiting for you on every hand. Among 
our native trees we have some of the finest in the 
world, Hke the Elm and the hard and soft 
Maples. Where rapid development is desired, 
we can add the Box-elder to the list. Where 
the grounds are very small, we can make use 
of the Cut-leaved Birch or some of the Jap- 
anese Maples. All these are easy to grow, 
and will take care of themselves when once 
established. 

Each home should have its lawn. Of course, 
it will be a small one on the ordinary village 
lot, but it serves its purpose by standing be- 
tween the highway and the home like a symbol 
of the idea that private and domestic life is so 
aloof from the public that there is, or should be, 
a visible sign of separation between them. 
The development of the lawn is a sure indica- 
tion that the improvement idea is working 
itself out in the right direction. Nothing can 
do more to make a village attractive than well- 
kept grounds about its homes, and no home 
can be considered as living up to its privileges 
as long as it is without its lawn. But do not 
make the mistake so common among us of 

283 



RURAL AND VILLAGE 

scattering shrubs and flower-beds all over it. 
Let it be a green space of sward as broad as 
possible, with suggestions of restfulness about 
it, and these it cannot have if it is so broken up 
by shinibs and beds that all sense of breadth 
and dignity is destroyed. One good tree on 
the small lawn is enough, and if this is at the 
side, so much the better, for it enables us to 
have a larger unbroken space of sward between 
the house and the street. Keep all shrubs well 
to the sides of the lot, and have the beds of an- 
nuals pretty well to the rear. Never aim to 
make the home a show-j^lace. Rather aim to 
make it a beautiful place, and rest assured that 
the charm of it will not be lost on the passer- 
by. Among the shrubs along the sides of the 
lot hardy flowers, like the Hollyhock, the 
Delphinium, the Peonj^ the Aster, the Peren- 
nial Phlox, and many others of stately habit 
and profusion of bloom, can be planted with 
fine effect. If the owners of adjoining lots 
can, in a sense, ignore boundary lines, and so 
arrange the shrubbery and border between 
them that it can be planted with an eye to unity 
of effect, charming results may be secured, 
and the lack of harmony which so frequently 
characterizes the two sides of the " line fence" 

28-1 



IMPROVEMENT SOCIETIES 

can be entirely avoided. This is the only way 
in which general harmony of decorative plant- 
ing can be secured in a block. So long as we 
shut ourselves up within the lines which se})a- 
rate us from our neighbors according to the 
"metes and bounds" of the surveyor, and 
work independently in the development of the 
home grounds, so long will our villages bear 
witness to lack of unity, and convict us of self- 
ish narrowness in refusing to consider the inter- 
ests of the community as superior to the 
interest of the individual. Let us work together 
and lose sight of the boundary-line in antici- 
pation of the beauty which may result there- 
from. The abolition of the line fence between 
village lots was a long step in the right direc- 
tion. It should be followed bj^ a union of 
work and plan in making the space between 
our homes so artistic in its effect that each 
owner can take pride in it, and feel that his 
interests are not confined wholly to his side of 
the lot. Here is where the truth of the old 
saying that in union there is strength can be 
forcibly illustrated in every community where 
houses stand near one another. Ask any land- 
scape gardener what he thinks of this sugges- 
tion, and I am quite sure that he will tell you 

285 



RURAL AND VILLAGE 

that there are great possibilities in the way of 
decorative planting where the two spaces are 
treated as one, but that by treating them 
independently much of the chance for good 
work is lost. 

I have spoken of hardy plants in the decora- 
tion of the home grounds. Let me refer to 
them once more for the purpose of emphasiz- 
ing my good opinion of their many merits. 
They are much to be preferred to annuals. 
They have a dignity not possessed by the latter. 
They are generally rich in color-effects. They 
are easily grown. They are good for an in- 
definite period if properly treated. Their 
value is becoming more fully understood each 
year, and the amateur gardener makes a seri- 
ous mistake if he refuses to avail himself of 
their assistance in making the home grounds 
attractive. By a judicious selection of kinds 
it is possible to have flowers in the hardy border 
from May to October. A large collection of 
these plants will require less attention than a 
few small beds of annuals. But I would not 
be understood as trying to discourage the cul- 
tivation of the latter. They are all right — in 
their place, but that place is not on the grounds 
between the street and the dwelling. 

286 



IMPROVEMENT SOCIETIES 

THE field of operation for local improve- 
ment societies is not confined to the home 
by any means. Public places, like the church, 
the school-house, and others of similar character, 
should receive attention. Let the aim be to 
make the entire village as attractive as the 
home, and do not relax your efforts until this 
has been done. Nothing adds more to the gen- 
eral attraction of a place than beautiful 
grounds about its places of greatest public 
importance. 

One of the finest examples of this phase of 
improvement work is to be seen in the city of 
Menominee, Michigan, where the grounds 
about the Public Librarj^ the great JNIanual 
Training-School, and the various ward school 
buildings are all treated with an artistic unity 
of purpose which is charming in results. And 
what adds to the value of this truly valuable 
object-lesson is the fact that native shrubs, 
trees, and plants have been made use of almost 
entirely in planting the grounds. It is well 
worth a long journey to this place to see what 
public spirit can do when directed by good 
taste. 

If you organize an improvement society, 
be sure to include the women in it, and give 

287 



RURAL AND VILLAGE 

them an opportunitj^ to cany out some of their 
ideas. A woman has a keen eye for the heaii- 
tiful, and her knowledge of color-com})inations 
will be of great benefit in the arrangement of 
flowering plants. But her usefulness will not 
be confined to the aesthetic features of the 
undertaking. Women can be as practical as 
men are. In Green Bay, Wisconsin, certain 
lines of street work have been put into the hands 
of a committee of prominent women with most 
satisfactory results. They not only plan, and 
plan wisely, but they execute, and execute 
thoroughly. 

It is a most excellent plan to interest the 
children in this work also. They will bring a 
great deal of enthusiasm to the performance 
of their share of it, and take pride in living 
up to the responsibilities placed upon them. 
It will be good training for them. Bear in 
mind this fact — that the greatest measure of 
success is almost always the result of the 
widest, heartiest cooperation. Get everybody 
interested, if possible, and keep them interested 
by giving them something to do. jNIake active 
members of everyone in the organization. 

Social features should be made a part of 
the attraction of a local improvement society, 

288 



IMPROVEMENT SOCIETIES 

especially in the winter. Have regular meet- 
ings at which papers are read on various 
phases of the work; discuss the spring cam- 
paign, and aim to draw everybody into the 
discussion; let music and literary exercises 
combine to give variety to these meetings; 
once in a while have a supper. In short, be 
sociable, and get acquainted with j^our 
neighbors, and let j^our improvement society 
be the bond of union which will develop friend- 
liness and harmony in the community. 

The financial benefits derived by any village 
or community from a local improvement 
society should not be overlooked. Let a 
town which has been "going down hill" for 
years, so far as its appearance is concerned, 
take upon itself the new life and enterprise 
which is the direct result of a hearty coopera- 
tion of its citizens in the work of general im- 
provement, and it will surely realize a substan- 
tial financial benefit from it. The price of 
real estate will improve as much as the place 
does. If a man in search of a new home come 
into such a place, he will be much more likely 
to invest his money in it than in a town that 
has no such showing of public spirit. The 
spirit of improvement is in the air, and it gives 

19 289 



IMPROVEMENT SOCIETIES 

a healthy tone which makes the stranger feel 
quite sure that the place must be a pleasant one 
to live in. 

The object of this paper has been to show 
some of the benefits brought about by local 
improvement societies and the means by which 
they can be realized. I hope that what has been 
said will interest those who recognize the need 
of improvement in their respective communi- 
ties and lead to the formation of societies, 
whose benefits will not be fully realized until 
they have worked that transformation which 
kindred societies have brought to many places 
I have had the pleasure of visiting. Our edu- 
cational and reform societies are doing an 
unlimited amount of good, and the local im- 
provement society is capable of doing equally 
useful work. The development of the com- 
munal interests of a neighborhood should go 
hand in hand with the training of its intellect. 
The local improvement society should teach 
the gospel of beauty and set good taste and 
orderliness in opposition to the degrading in- 
fluence of neglect and indifference as to en- 
vironment. It will surely make better men 
and women of us by so doing. 



INDEX 



Flowers are not always, but we may 
Cut thorns and thistles any day. 

E. Nesbit: Quand Meme. 



And the rose like a nymph to the bath addrest, 
Which unveiled the depth of her glowing breast, 
Till, fold after fold, to the fainting air. 
The soul of her beauty and love lay bare. 

Shelley: The Sensitive Plant. 




I lie amid the Goldenrod, 
I love to see it lean and nod; 
I love to feel the grassy sod 
Whose kindly breast will hold me last. 
Whose patient arms will fold me fast ! — 
Fold me from sunshine and from song. 
Fold me from sorrow and from wrong: 
Through gleaming gates of Goldenrod 
I'll pass into the rest of God. 

Mary Clemmer: Goldenrod. 



INDEX 



A 

Abutilon, desirable house-plant 171-172 

starting from cuttings 105-106 

Achyranthes, care of 103 

Agave, Queen Victoria, desirable decorative plant 240-241 

Ageratum, desirable house-plant 107, 181 

Alternanthera, care of 103 

Amaranthus, desirable garden-plant 78 

bordered by Calliopsis 78 

Amelanchier, desirable native plant 45-46 

Ampelopsis, culture and growth of 42-44 

desirable native plant 37 

Andromeda, desirable native plant 46 

Anemone, Japanese, fall garden-plant 126 

Annuals, desirable sorts of 24-25 

location for 21 

proper soil for 23 

proper sowing-time for 24 

should be kept separate from perennials 21-22 

Aphis, protection against 220 

soap solution for 105 

Aphis, black, insecticide for 94 

Aquatic plants, winter protection of 144-145 

Araucaria, desirable table decoration 257-259 

Araucaria compacta, desirable decorative plant 236 

Araucaria excelsa, culture of 236 

desirable decorative plant 234-237 

Ardisia crenulata, desirable table decoration 257 

Areca lutescens, desirable palm 221 

Asclepias, desirable native plant 45 

Asparagus plumosus nanus, culture of 250 

desirable table decoration 249-251 

293 



INDEX. 

Asparagus tenuissimus, not desirable table decoration 252 

Aspidistra, culture of 242 

desirable decorative plant 241-243 

Aspidistra lurida variegata 242 

Aster, associated with Golden-rod 39-40, 117-119 

desirable garden-plant 24, 55, 65 

desirable native plant 39-40 

fall flower 117-119, 126 

improvement under cultivation 118-119 

protection against black aphis ' 94 

Azalea, desirable house-plant 183-184 

B 

Baby Primrose, culture of 254 

desirable decoration 254-255 

desirable window-plant 177 

Back-yard gardens, desirable plants for 55, 58 

preparation of 51-58 

Balsam, desirable annual 24, 66 

Begonias, desirable decorative plants 232-234 

desirable varieties for house-plants 172-173 

east window for 176 

starting from cuttings 105-106 

Begonia anthericum variegatum, desirable house-plant 185 

Begonia argentea guttata, desirable house-plant 185 

Begonia aurea variegata, desirable decorative plant. . . . 232-233 

desirable table decoration 252-253 

Begonia Gloire de Lorraine, desirable house-plant 172-173 

desirable table decoration 253-254 

Begonia maculata aurea, desirable house-plant 185 

Begonia picta aurea, desirable decorative plant 233-234 

Begonia rubra, desirable house-plant 172 

Bell Flower, desirable house-plant 171-172 

Belmoreana, desirable palm 221 

Bengal Rose, desirable for amateur garden 81-82 

winter protection of 141-142 

Bermuda Lily, desirable house-plant 162-164 

Bittersweet, desirable native plant 44-45 

294 



INDEX. 

Black beetle, soap solution for 93-94 

Bone-meal, desirable fertilizer 2, 32, 214 

Boneset, fall flower 121-122 

Borders, proper planning of 29 

desirable plants for 29 

Boston Fern, culture of 230-231 

desirable decorative plant 229-232 

proper soil for 229-230 

Browallia major, desirable bracket-plant 181 

desirable house-plant 181 

Bulbs, bed for 132 

choice of 163 

desirable kinds of 23, 161-163 

fall planting of 131-132 

fertilizer for 153 

growing of 151-164 

grown in beds before annuals 22 

making of bed for 152-153 

planting of 153-156 

planting and transplanting of 99-100 

planting time for 23, 153-154 

potting of 158-164 

potting soil for 158-159 

soil for 152 

storing of 100, 160 

summer care of 99-100 

treatment as house-plants 156-164, 184 

watering of 161 

winter protection of 155 

Bulbs, hardy, desirable for amateur garden 151 

c 

Caladium, with Ricinus 79 

Caladium bulbs, winter storage of 143-144 

Calliopsis, as a border-plant 77, 78 

desirable annual 24, 55, 66 

with Amaranthus 78 

with scarlet Salvia 77 

295 



INDEX. 

Candytuft, desirable for amateur garden 66 

Candytuft, White, with scarlet Salvia 77 

Canna, fall garden-plant 120 

with Ricinus 79 

Canna bulbs, winter storage of 143-144 

Carnation, Marguerite, desirable garden-plant 103-105 

desirable house-plant 103-105, 183 

potting of 105 

Celandine, fall flower 120-121 

Celastrus scandens, desirable native plant 44-45 

Celosia, desirable for amateur garden 66 

Centaurea, care of 103 

desirable for amateur garden 66 

Chinese Primrose, desirable house-plant 178 

Chinese Rose, winter protection of 141-142 

Christmas-tree Pine, culture of 236 

desirable decorative plant 234-237 

Chrysanthemum, culture of 93-94 

fall garden-plant 126 

Clematis flammula, desirable native plant 41-42 

preferable to C. Jackmanii 41 

Clethra alnifolia, desirable native plant 46 

Climbing Rose, winter protection of 140 

Coleus, care of 103 

desirable for window-boxes 61 

Color harmony 29, 75-78 

Coreopsis, as border-plant 29 

fall flower 120 

Cornel, desirable native plant 45 

Cosmos, fall garden-plant 126 

Cranberry, High-bush, desirable native plant 38-39 

Crocus, desirable garden-plant 23 

proper planting of 154 

Cultivation of soil, benefits of 69 

Culture and care of palms 211-225 

Cuttings, potting of 106 

rooting of 106 

296 



INDEX. 

D 

Daffodil, desirable garden-plant 23 

desirable house-plant 162 

Dahlia, culture of 79, 89-90 

desirable plant for amateur garden 79 

fall garden-plant 126 

Dahlia bulbs, winter storage of 143-144 

Decorative plants, desirable kinds of 229-245 

Dianthus, desirable for amateur garden 66 

Dicentra, as border-plant 29 

flowering time of 28 

Dogwood, desirable native plant 45 

Dracena, culture of 244 

desirable table decoration 256 

Dracena indivisa, desirable decorative plant 244 

Dracena regina, desirable decorative plant 244 

E 

Easter Lily, desirable house-plant 162-164 

Elder, White-flowered, desirable native plant 36-37 

Eschscholtzia, desirable for amateur garden 66 

with crimson Phlox 77 

with scarlet Salvia 77 

Eupatorium, fall flower 121-122 

Everblooming Rose, desirable for amateur garden 81-82 

winter protection of 141-142 

F 

Fall flowers 114-127 

Fall planting, proper time for 28-29 

Fall work in the garden 131-147 

Fan Palm, desirable house-plant 221 

Fertilizer, bone-meal for lawns 12 

stable-manure, disadvantages of 12 

commercial, preferable to stable-manure 69-70 

Ferns, native, domestication of 47-48 

Ficus, culture of 238-239 

desirable decorative plant 237-240 

297 



INDEX. 

Ficus elastica variegata, not desirable 239-240 

Flower-beds, care of 21-32 

effective color schemes for: 

Amaranthus with Calliopsis 78 

Caladium with Ricinus 79 

Calliopsis with Amaranthus 78 

Calliopsis with scarlet Salvia 77 

Candytuft, White, with scarlet Salvia 77 

Canna with Ricinus 79 

Eschscholtzia with crimson Phlox 77 

Eschscholtzia with scarlet Salvia 77 

Geranium, Madame Salleroi, with Phlox 76-77 

Phlox with Madame Salleroi Geranium 76-77 

Phlox, crimson, with Eschscholtzia. . 77 

Ricinus with Caladium 79 

Ricinus with Canna 79 

Salvia, scarlet, with Calliopsis 77 

Salvia, scarlet, with Eschscholtzia 77 

Salvia, scarlet, with Sweet Alyssum 77 

Salvia, scarlet, with White Candytuft 77 

Sweet Alyssum with scarlet Salvia 77 

fertilizing of 31 

location of 21 

making of 21-32 

planning for harmony of colors 75-78 

should not be made before lawn is finished 11 

spading of, season for 68 

spring work with 68-70 

weeding of 31 

Flowers, securing plentiful crops of 84-85, 70 

Flowers of fall 113-127 

Flowering Maple, desirable house-plant 171-172 

Foliage plants, care of 103 

Fosteriana, desirable palm 220-221 

Fountain Plant, desirable decorative plant 244 

Fuchsia, desirable for window-boxes 61 

not usually a good winter bloomer 174-175 

Fuchsia speciosa, culture of 175-176 

desirable house plant 175-176 

298 



INDEX. 

G 

Garden in summer 89-109 

Garden of native plants 35-48 

Gentian, fall flower 123 

Geranium, desirable for window-boxes 61 

desirable house-plant 168-171 

starting from cuttings 105-106 

Geranium, Madame Salleroi, as a border-plant 76-77 

culture of 77 

desirable house-plant 185 

desirable table decoration 255-256 

with Phlox 76-77 

Gillyflower, desirable house-plant 182-183 

Gladiolus, culture of 79-81, 90-91 

desirable for amateur garden 79-81 

Gladiolus roots, winter storage of 143-144 

Glass-enclosed plant-room 204-205 

Gloire de Lorraine Begonia, desirable house-plant 172-173 

desirable table decoration 253-254 

Golden Glow, variety of Rudbeckia 124 

flowering time of 28 

Golden-rod, associated with Aster 39-40, 117-119 

desirable native plant 39-40 

Grass seed 13-14 

Greenhouse 191-207 

Greenhouse, home, desirability of 191-192 

methods of building 194-204 

methods of heating 202-204 

size of 206-207 

Growing plants for table decoration 249-258 

H 

Halesia, desirable shrub 26 

Hamamelis, desirable native plant 46-47 

Hanging plants, starting and care of 107-109 

watering of 108-109 

Hardy plants — see Perennials 

Harmony of color in plants 29, 75-78 

Helenium autumnale, fall flower 125 

299 



INDEX. 

Heliotrope, culture of 173-174 

desirable house-plaut 173-174 

desirable for window-boxes 61 

soil for 173 

starting from cuttings 105-106 

Herbaceous plants, hardy, transplanted in fall 135-136 

High-bush Cranberry, desirable native plant 38-39 

Hoe, double-bladed ' 97 

Hollyhock, as border-plant 29 

flowering time of 28 

transplanting in fall 135-136 

Home greenhouse 191-207 

desirability of 191-193 

methods of building 194-202 

methods of heating 202-204 

size of 206-207 

House-plants, not to be planted out in summer 100-103 

started from cuttings 105-106 

Hyacinth, desirable bulb 23 

proper planting of 154 

Hyacinth, Roman, desirable house-plant 161-162, 184 

Hyacinth, single Holland, desirable house-plant 162, 184 

Hydrangea, desirable for groups of shrubbery 26 

fall garden-plant 126 

I 

Insects, soap emulsion for 93-94 

Ironweed, desirable native plant 45 

fall flower 125 

J 

Japanese Anemone, fall garden-plant 126-127 

Jerusalem Cherry, desirable table decoration 257 

Jewel-weed, fall flower 120-121 

K 

Kentias, desirable palms 220 

300 



INDEX. 

L 

Lantana, desirable for w.'ndow-boxes 61 

Larkspur, as a border-plant 29 

flowering time of 28 

Latonia Borbonica, desirable palm 221 

Lawn, fertilizing of 12, 18 

grading of 12 

growth of 15-17 

making and care of 11-18 

mowing of 15-17 

should be planned before flower-beds 21 

should not be cut up by flower-beds 21 

sowing of 15 

"stooling out" of 15-16 

Lawn-mower, proper use of 15-17 

Lilac, best hardy large shrub 26 

proper pruning of 139 

Lilium Harrissii, desirable house-plant 162-164, 184 

Lily, proper planting of 154 

Lily of the Valley, flowering time of 28 

Lime-water, protection against worms 222 

Lobelia, desirable for window-boxes 61 

Lysimachia, desirable for hanging baskets 108 

M 

Madame Salleroi Geranium, as border-plant 76 

culture of 77 

desirable house-plant 185 

desirable table decoration 255-256 

with Phlox 76-77 

Making and care of the lawn 11-18 

Manure, barnyard, disadvantages of 12, 69-70 

for bulbs 153 

Marguerite Carnations, desirable garden-plant 103-105 

desirable house-plant 103-105, 183 

potting of 105 

Marigold, desirable for amateur gardens 55, 66 

Meadow Rue, desirable native plant 40-41 

Mealy-bug, protection against 220 

301 



INDEX. 

Mignonette, desirable annual 24 

desirable for window-boxes 61 

"Mixed" seeds usually inharmonious 78 

Moneywort, desirable for hanging baskets 108 

desirable for window-boxes 61 

Morning-glory, desirable annual 24, 55, 66 

desirable for window-boxes 61 

Mulch of grass-clippings 84, 91 

N 

Narcissus, desirable house-plant 184 

Nasturtium, desirable for amateur garden 55, 66 

desirable for window-boxes 61 

Native plants, beauty of 35 

desirable kinds of 36-38 

garden of 35-48 

transplanting and domestication of 47-48 

Nephrolepis exaltata 229 

Nephrolepis Fosteriana 232 

Nephrolepis Piersonii, desirable decorative plant 232 

Nicotiana, desirable for amateur garden 67 

Noisette Rose, desirable for amateur garden 81-84 

winter protection of 141-142 

Norfolk Island Pine, culture of 235 

desirable decorative plant 234-236 

desirable table decoration 258-259 

O 

" Old-fashioned flowers," desirable for amateur garden... 65-66 

Otaheite Orange, desirable table decoration 257 

Othonna, desirable for hanging baskets 108 

desirable for window-boxes 61 

P 

Palms, bathing with oil and with milk 223-224 

culture and care of 211-225 

desirable varieties of 220-221 

draining of 215-216 

fertilizing of 213-215 

freeing of parasites 219-220 

302 



INDEX. 

Palms, proper light for 217 

protection against worms 221-223 

size of pots for 224-225 

watering of 217-220 

Pandanus utilis, culture of 243 

desirable decorative plant 243-244 

Pandanus Veitchii, desirable decorative plant 243 

desirable table decoration 256 

Pansy, as an annual 25 

culture of 92-93 

desirable for amateur garden 82 

fall garden-plant 126 

Peony, flowering time of 28 

Perennials, planting time of 28 

should be kept separate from annuals 22 

take two seasons to bloom from seed 32 

Perennials, hardy, as a background for lawn 25-26 

desirable for amateur garden 27-28 

desirable sorts of 28 

transplanted in fall 135-136 

Perennials, low-growing and tall should be kept separate 21-22 

Petunia, desirable plant for amateur garden 24, 55, 61 

desirable for window-boxes 61 

forcing second crop of bloom 107 

potting for house-plant 106 

sowing of 70 

Petunia, single, culture of 180 

desirable bracket-plant 180 

desirable for winter blooming 179 

Phlox, bordered by Madame Salleroi Geranium 76 

desirable for back-yard gardens 55 

desirable for window-boxes 61 

Phlox, crimson, with Eschscholtzia 77 

Phlox, dwarf, as border-plant 29 

Phlox, early varieties, flowering time of 28 

Phlox, late varieties, flowering time of 28 

Phlox, perennial, fall garden plant 126 

Phlox Drummondii, desirable for amateur garden 24, 66 

PhcEuix reclinata, desirable palm 221 

303 



INDEX. 

Planting, fall, proper time for 28-29 

Planting, spring, proper time for 28-29 

Planting schemes 76-78 

Plants started in house usually unsuccessful 67-68 

Plumbago capensis, desirable house-plant 181-182 

Poppy, desirable for back-yard garden 55 

Portulaca, desirable for amateur garden 66 

sowing of 70 

Primrose, Baby, desirable house-plant 177 

desirable table decoration 254-255 

Primrose, Chinese, desirable house-plant 178 

Primula Forbesii, desirable house-plant 177 

Primula obconica, desirable house-plant 176-177 

Pruning, proper method for 138-139 

Pyrethrum, care of 103 

Q 

Queen Victoria Agave, desirable decorative plant 240-241 

R 

Red Osier, desirable native plant 45 

Red Spider, protection against 105, 179, 219 

Ricinus, "tropical" effects of 79 

with Caladium 79 

with Canna 79 

Rose, winter protection of 139-143 

Rose, Bengal, desirable plant for amateur garden 81-82 

Rose, Everblooming, desirable plant for amateur garden. 81-82 
Rose, hardy, desirable for amateur garden 27 

should be planted by itself 27 

Rose, Noisette, desirable plant for amateur garden 81-82 

Rose, Tea, culture of 91-92 

desirable plant for amateur garden 81-82 

Rubber Plant, culture of 238 

desirable decorative plant 237-238 

Rudbeckia, as border-plant 29 

fall flower 124 

flowering time of 17 

Rural and village improvement 277-290 

desirable plants for 270-271, 282-286 

304 



INDEX. 

s 

Salpiglossis, desirable for amateur garden 66 

Salvia, desirable for amateur garden 66 

starting from cuttings 105-106 

Salvia, scarlet, bordered by Calliopsis 77 

bordered by Sweet Alyssum 77 

bordered by White Candytuft 77 

desirable house-plant 178-179 

with Eschscholtzia 77 

Salvia splendens, desirable house-plant 107 

Saxifraga, desirable for hanging baskets 108 

desirable for window-boxes 61 

Scabiosa, desirable for amateur garden 66 

Scale, protection against 220 

Scarlet Salvia, desirable house-plant 178-179 

Screw Pine, culture of 243 

desirable decorative plant 243-244 

Seed, sowing of 70-71 

Seedlings, conditions necessary to success with 67-68 

Shad-bush, desirable native plant 45-46 

Shrubs, fertilizing of 31-32 

planting time of 28 

transplanted in fall 137 

winter protection of 146 

Shrubs, hardy, as background for lawn 26 

desirable kinds of 26-27 

Snakehead, rose-colored, fall flower 122 

Snakehead, White, fall flower 122 

Snapdragon, desirable for amateur garden 66 

Sneezeweed, fall flower 125 

Snowdrop, desirable bulb 23 

planting of 154 

Soap solution, as insecticide 220 

Soil, cultivation of 74, 96 

Sowing of seeds 70-71 

Spade 99 

Spiraea, desirable for groups of shrubbery 26 

Spiraea, herbaceous, flowering time of 28 

Sprayer 98-99 

305 



INDEX. 

Spring in the garden 65-66 

Spring planting, time for 28-29 

Stable-manure, disadvantages of 12, 69-70 

Star Pine, culture of 235 

desirable decorative plant 234-237 

desirable table decoration 257-258 

Stock, Ten-week, desirable for amateur garden 24, 66 

desirable house-plant 182-183 

"Stooling out" of lawn 15-16 

Sumach, desirable native plant 37-38 

Summer work in the garden 89-109 

Sweet Alyssum, as a border-plant 77 

desirable for amateur garden 24, 66 

desirable for window-boxes 61 

with scarlet Salvia 77 

Sweet Peas, culture of 82-84, 92 

desirable for amateur garden 24, 55, 66 

Sweet-pepper Bush, desirable native plant 46 

Sword Fern 229 

Syringa, desirable shrub 26 

T 

Table decorations with growing plants 249-259 

Tea Roses, as annual 25 

culture of 91-92 

desirable plant for amateur garden 81-82 

winter protection of 141-142 

Ten- week Stock, desirable for amateur garden 24, 66 

desirable house-plant 182-183 

Thalictrum, desirable native plant 40-41 

Thoroughwort, fall flower 122-123 

Tools, care of 99, 147 

necessary for amateur garden 97-99 

Top-dressing of lawn 18 

Touch-me-not, fall flower 120-121 

Tradescantia, desirable for hanging baskets 108 

desirable for window-boxes 61 

Transplanting, proper method for 47-48, 71-73, 94-96 

Traveller's Joy, desirable native plant 41-42 

306 



INDEX. 

Tulip, desirable bulb 23-24 

proper planting of 154 

V 

Verbena, desirable for amateur garden 66 

Vernonia, desirable native plant 45 

fall flower 125 

Vervain, fall flower 124 

Viburnum opulus, desirable native plant 38 

Village Improvement Societies, organization and work of 263-289 

Vinca, desirable for window-boxes 61 

Vine baskets, starting and care of 107-109 

Virginia Creeper, culture and growth of 42-44 

desirable native plant 37 

Virgin's Bower, desirable native plant 41-42 

W 

Watering, proper method for 74, 95-96 

Weeding, proper method for 31, 73, 96-97 

Weeding-hook 98 

Weigelia, desirable shrub 26 

Wheelbarrow , 99 

White Candytutt, as border-plant 77 

White Snakehead, fall flower 122 

White-flowered Elder, desirable native plant 36-37 

Window-boxes, desirable plants for 61 

making and care of 59-61 

watering of 60-61 

Window-garden in winter 167-187 

care of 186-187 

desirable plants for 168-187 

Winter protect'- n of plants 132-146 

Winter window-garden 167-187 

Witch-hazel, desirable native plant 46-47 

late blossoming of 127 

Worms, protection of palms against 221-223 

Z 

Zinnia, desirable for amateur garden 55, 66 

307 



APR 24 1907 




•CtFYOEUTOCATWVJ 

APR 84 1907 




MAY 2 1907 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




